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diff --git a/33525-h/33525-h.htm b/33525-h/33525-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fd9c9c8 --- /dev/null +++ b/33525-h/33525-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,7640 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> +<title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Stories from Tagore, by Rabindranath Tagore. +</title> +<style type="text/css"> +body { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; } +h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { text-align: center; clear: both;} +p { margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em; } +p.prechap { text-align: center; font-size: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; + margin-top: 1.5em; } +p.words { margin-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em;} +.types { margin-left: 2em; text-indent: 1em;} +table { margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} +td.pgno { text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; padding-left: 1em;} +td.desc { text-align: left; vertical-align: top;} + +.old {font-family: "Old English", "Old English Text", "Old English Text MT", + "Engravers Old English", "Engravers Old English MT", "EF Old English", + Gothic, Medieval, blackletter, "Black Letter", Gothique, Gotisch, + fantacy, cursive, sans-serif;} +.notebox {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; margin-top: 5%; + margin-bottom: 5%; padding: 1em; border: solid black 1px;} +ins.corr { text-decoration: none; border-bottom: thin dotted;} +a img { border: none; } +hr { width: 33%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; clear: both;} +hr.chap {width: 65%;} +hr.full {width: 95%;} +p.hr15 { width: 15%; margin-top: -.5em; margin-bottom: .5em; margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; clear: both; border-bottom: solid 1px;} +ul.noblt { list-style-type: none; } +a.indx:link { color: black; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: thin dotted; } +a.indx:visited { color: black; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: thin dotted; } +a.indx:hover { color: black; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: thin dotted; } +a.indx:active { color: black; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: thin dotted; } +.indx { text-decoration: none; border-bottom: thin dotted;} + +.pagenum { position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; + font-style: normal; text-align: right; text-indent: 0em;} +.center {text-align: center;} +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} +.u {text-decoration: underline;} +.caption {font-size: 90%;} +.figcenter { margin: auto; text-align: center;} +.poem { margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} +.poem br {display: none;} +.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} +.poem span.i0 { display: block; margin-left: 0em; + padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; } +.poem span.i1 { display: block; margin-left: 1em; + padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; } +.poem span.i2 { display: block; margin-left: 2em; + padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; } +.poem span.i4 { display: block; margin-left: 4em; + padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; } +</style> + +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stories from Tagore, by Rabindranath Tagore + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Stories from Tagore + +Author: Rabindranath Tagore + +Release Date: August 24, 2010 [EBook #33525] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES FROM TAGORE *** + + + + +Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Asad Razzaki and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + +<div class="notebox"> +<p>Transcriber's Notes:</p> + +<p>Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been retained as +in the original.</p> + +<p>Words listed in the 'Words to be Studied' sections are linked in +the text <span class="indx">like this</span>. Click on the word to +see the explanation.</p> + +<p>A few typographical errors have been corrected. A complete list of +changes <a href="#TN">follows</a> the text.</p> +</div> +<hr class="full" /> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Book cover with spine." title="" /> +</div> + +<hr /> +<p class="prechap">STORIES FROM TAGORE</p> + +<hr /> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/logo.png" alt="Publisher's Logo." title="" /> +</div> + +<p class="center">THE MACMILLAN COMPANY<br /> +<small>NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS<br /> +ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO</small></p> + +<p class="center">MACMILLAN & CO., <span class="smcap">Limited</span><br /> +<small>LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA<br /> +MELBOURNE</small></p> + +<p class="center">THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, <span class="smcap">Ltd.</span><br /> +<small>TORONTO</small></p> + +<hr /> +<h1 id="title">Stories from Tagore</h1> + +<p class="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="old">New York</span><br /> +<big>The Macmillan Company</big><br /> +1918<br /> +<small><i>All rights reserved</i></small></p> +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><small>Copyright 1916 and 1918</small><br /> +<span class="smcap">By</span> THE MACMILLAN COMPANY</p> +<p class="hr15"> </p> +<p class="center"><small>Set up and electrotyped. Published, October, 1918</small></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<h2>PREFACE</h2> + +<p><span class="smcap">Every</span> experienced teacher must have noticed the +difficulty of instructing Indian children out of books +that are specially intended for use in English schools. +It is not merely that the subjects are unfamiliar, but +almost every phrase has English associations that +are strange to Indian ears. The environment in +which they are written is unknown to the Indian +school boy and his mind becomes overburdened with +its details which he fails to understand. He cannot +give his whole attention to the language and thus +master it quickly.</p> + +<p>The present Indian story-book avoids some at least +of these impediments. The surroundings described +in it are those of the students' everyday life; the +sentiments and characters are familiar. The stories +are simply told, and the notes at the end will be sufficient +to explain obscure passages. It should be possible +for the Indian student to follow the pages of +the book easily and intelligently. Those students +who have read the stories in the original will have +the further advantage of knowing beforehand the +whole trend of the narrative and thus they will be +able to concentrate their thoughts on the English +language itself.</p> + +<p>It is proposed to publish together in a single +volume the original stories whose English translations +are given in this Reader. Versions of the same +stories in the different Indian vernaculars have already +appeared, and others are likely to follow.</p> + +<p>Two of the longest stories in this book—"Master +Mashai" and "The Son of Rashmani"—are reproduced +in English for the first time. The rest of +the stories have been taken, with slight revision, from +two English volumes entitled "The Hungry Stones" +and "Mashi." A short paragraph has been added +from the original Bengali at the end of the story +called "The Postmaster." This was unfortunately +omitted in the first English edition.</p> + +<p>The list of words to be studied has been chosen +from each story in order to bring to notice different +types of English words. The lists are in no sense +exhaustive. The end in view has been to endeavour +to create an interest in Indian words and their history, +which may lead on to further study.</p> + +<h2><a id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> + +<div class="center"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Table of Contents."> +<tr><td> </td><td class="pgno"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#I">The Cabuliwallah</a></span></td><td class="pgno">3</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#II">The Home-Coming</a></span></td><td class="pgno">21</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#III">Once there was a King</a></span></td><td class="pgno">35</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#IV">The Child's Return</a></span></td><td class="pgno">51</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#V">Master Mashai</a></span></td><td class="pgno">69</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#VI">Subha</a></span></td><td class="pgno">101</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#VII">The Postmaster</a></span></td><td class="pgno">115</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#VIII">The Castaway</a></span></td><td class="pgno">129</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#IX">The Son of Rashmani</a></span></td><td class="pgno">151</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#X">The Babus of Nayanjore</a></span></td><td class="pgno">203</td></tr> +<tr><td class="desc"><span class="smcap"><a href="#NOTES">Notes</a></span></td><td class="pgno">223</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> + +<p class="prechap">THE CABULIWALLAH</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p> + +<p class="prechap"><big>STORIES FROM TAGORE</big></p> + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="I"></a>I<br /> +<br /> +THE CABULIWALLAH</h2> + +<p><span class="smcap">My</span> five years' old daughter Mini cannot live without +chattering. I really believe that in all her life she +has not wasted a minute in silence. Her mother is +often vexed at this, and would stop her prattle, but I +would not. To see Mini quiet is unnatural, and I +cannot bear it long. And so my own talk with her is +always lively.</p> + +<p>One morning, for instance, when I was in the midst +of the seventeenth chapter of my new novel, my little +Mini stole into the room, and putting her hand into +mine, said: "Father! Ramdayal the door-keeper +calls a crow a krow! He doesn't know anything, +does he?"</p> + +<p>Before I could explain to her the differences of +language in this world, she was embarked on the full +tide of another subject. "What do you think, +Father? Bhola says there is an elephant in the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> +clouds, blowing water out of his trunk, and that is +why it rains!"</p> + +<p>And then, darting off anew, while I sat still making +ready some reply to this last saying: "Father! +what relation is Mother to you?"</p> + +<p>With a grave face I contrived to say: "Go and +play with Bhola, Mini! I am busy!"</p> + +<p>The window of my room overlooks the road. +The child had seated herself at my feet near my table, +and was playing softly, drumming on her knees. I +was hard at work on my seventeenth chapter, where +Pratap Singh, the hero, had just caught Kanchanlata, +the heroine, in his arms, and was about to escape with +her by the third-story window of the castle, when +all of a sudden Mini left her play, and ran to the +window, crying: "A Cabuliwallah! a Cabuliwallah!" +Sure enough in the street below was a +Cabuliwallah, passing slowly along. He wore the +loose, soiled clothing of his people, with a tall turban; +there was a bag on his back, and he carried +boxes of grapes in his hand.</p> + +<p>I cannot tell what were my daughter's feelings at +the sight of this man, but she began to call him +loudly. "Ah!" I thought, "he will come in, and +my seventeenth chapter will never be finished!" At +which exact moment the Cabuliwallah turned, and +looked up at the child. When she saw this, overcome +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> +by terror, she fled to her mother's protection +and disappeared. She had a blind belief that inside +the bag, which the big man carried, there were +perhaps two or three other children like herself. +The pedlar meanwhile entered my doorway and +greeted me with a smiling face.</p> + +<p>So <a id="t_precarious"></a><a href="#idx_precarious" class="indx">precarious</a> was the position of my hero and +my heroine, that my first impulse was to stop and buy +something, since the man had been called. I made +some small purchases, and a conversation began about +Abdurrahman, the Russians, the English, and the +Frontier Policy.</p> + +<p>As he was about to leave, he asked: "And where +is the little girl, sir?"</p> + +<p>And I, thinking that Mini must get rid of her +false fear, had her brought out.</p> + +<p>She stood by my chair, and looked at the Cabuliwallah +and his bag. He offered her nuts and raisins, +but she would not be tempted, and only clung the +closer to me, with all her doubts increased.</p> + +<p>This was their first meeting.</p> + +<p>One morning, however, not many days later, as +I was leaving the house, I was startled to find Mini, +seated on a bench near the door, laughing and talking, +with the great Cabuliwallah at her feet. In +all her life, it appeared, my small daughter had never +found so patient a listener, save her father. And +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> +already the corner of her little <i>sari</i> was stuffed with +almonds and raisins, the gift of her visitor. "Why +did you give her those?" I said, and taking out an +eight-anna bit, I handed it to him. The man accepted +the money without demur, and slipped it into +his pocket.</p> + +<p>Alas, on my return an hour later, I found the unfortunate +coin had made twice its own worth of +trouble! For the Cabuliwallah had given it to Mini; +and her mother, catching sight of the bright round +object, had pounced on the child with: "Where +did you get that eight-anna bit?"</p> + +<p>"The Cabuliwallah gave it me," said Mini cheerfully.</p> + +<p>"The Cabuliwallah gave it you!" cried her +mother much shocked. "O Mini! how could you +take it from him?"</p> + +<p>I, entering at the moment, saved her from <a id="t_impending"></a><a href="#idx_impending" class="indx">impending</a> +disaster, and proceeded to make my own inquiries.</p> + +<p>It was not the first or second time, I found, that +the two had met. The Cabuliwallah had overcome +the child's first terror by a <a id="t_judicious"></a><a href="#idx_judicious" class="indx">judicious</a> bribery of nuts +and almonds, and the two were now great friends.</p> + +<p>They had many quaint jokes, which afforded them +much amusement. Seated in front of him, looking +down on his gigantic frame in all her tiny dignity, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +Mini would ripple her face with laughter and begin: +"O Cabuliwallah! Cabuliwallah! what have you +got in your bag?"</p> + +<p>And he would reply, in the nasal accents of the +mountaineer: "An elephant!" Not much cause +for merriment, perhaps; but how they both enjoyed +the fun! And for me, this child's talk with a grown-up +man had always in it something strangely fascinating.</p> + +<p>Then the Cabuliwallah, not to be behindhand, +would take his turn: "Well, little one, and when +are you going to the father-in-law's house?"</p> + +<p>Now most small Bengali maidens have heard long +ago about the father-in-law's house; but we, being +a little new-fangled, had kept these things from our +child, and Mini at this question must have been a +trifle bewildered. But she would not show it, and +with ready tact replied: "Are <i>you</i> going there?"</p> + +<p>Amongst men of the Cabuliwallah's class, however, +it is well known that the words <i>father-in-law's +house</i> have a double meaning. It is a <a id="t_euphemism"></a><a href="#idx_euphemism" class="indx">euphemism</a> for +<i>jail</i>, the place where we are well cared for, at no expense +to ourselves. In this sense would the sturdy +pedlar take my daughter's question. "Ah," he +would say, shaking his fist at an invisible policeman, +"I will thrash my father-in-law!" Hearing this, +and picturing the poor discomfited relative, Mini +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +would go off into peals of laughter, in which her +formidable friend would join.</p> + +<p>These were autumn mornings, the very time of +year when kings of old went forth to conquest; and +I, never stirring from my little corner in Calcutta, +would let my mind wander over the whole world. +At the very name of another country, my heart would +go out to it, and at the sight of a foreigner in the +streets, I would fall to weaving a network of dreams,—the +mountains, the glens, and the forests of his +distant home, with his cottage in its setting, and the +free and independent life of far-away wilds. Perhaps +the scenes of travel conjure themselves up before +me and pass and repass in my imagination all +the more vividly, because I lead such a vegetable existence +that a call to travel would fall upon me like a +thunder-bolt. In the presence of this Cabuliwallah +I was immediately <a id="t_transported"></a><a href="#idx_transported" class="indx">transported</a> to the foot of arid +mountain peaks, with narrow little defiles twisting in +and out amongst their towering heights. I could +see the string of camels bearing the merchandise, and +the company of turbanned merchants carrying some +their queer old firearms, and some their spears, +journeying downward towards the plains. I could +see—. But at some such point Mini's mother would +<a id="t_intervene"></a><a href="#idx_intervene" class="indx">intervene</a>, imploring me to "beware of that man."</p> + +<p>Mini's mother is unfortunately a very timid lady. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +Whenever she hears a noise in the street, or sees +people coming towards the house, she always jumps +to the <a id="t_conclusion"></a><a href="#idx_conclusion" class="indx">conclusion</a> that they are either thieves, or +drunkards, or snakes, or tigers, or malaria, or cockroaches, +or caterpillars. Even after all these years +of experience, she is not able to overcome her terror. +So she was full of doubts about the Cabuliwallah, and +used to beg me to keep a watchful eye on him.</p> + +<p>I tried to laugh her fear gently away, but then +she would turn round on me seriously, and ask me +solemn questions:—</p> + +<p>Were children never kidnapped?</p> + +<p>Was it, then, not true that there was slavery in +Cabul?</p> + +<p>Was it so very absurd that this big man should be +able to carry off a tiny child?</p> + +<p>I urged that, though not impossible, it was highly +improbable. But this was not enough, and her dread +persisted. As it was indefinite, however, it did not +seem right to forbid the man the house, and the intimacy +went on unchecked.</p> + +<p>Once a year in the middle of January Rahmun, the +Cabuliwallah, was in the habit of returning to his +country, and as the time approached he would be +very busy, going from house to house collecting his +debts. This year, however, he could always find +time to come and see Mini. It would have seemed +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +to an outsider that there was some conspiracy between +the two, for when he could not come in the +morning, he would appear in the evening.</p> + +<p>Even to me it was a little startling now and then, +in the corner of a dark room, suddenly to surprise +this tall, loose-garmented, much bebagged man; but +when Mini would run in smiling, with her "O +Cabuliwallah! Cabuliwallah!" and the two friends, +so far apart in age, would subside into their old +laughter and their old jokes, I felt reassured.</p> + +<p>One morning, a few days before he had made up +his mind to go, I was correcting my proof sheets in +my study. It was chilly weather. Through the +window the rays of the sun touched my feet, and +the slight warmth was very welcome. It was almost +eight o'clock, and the early pedestrians were returning +home with their heads covered. All at once I +heard an uproar in the street, and, looking out, saw +Rahmun being led away bound between two policemen, +and behind them a crowd of curious boys. +There were blood-stains on the clothes of the Cabuliwallah, +and one of the policemen carried a knife. +Hurrying out, I stopped them, and inquired what it +all meant. Partly from one, partly from another, I +gathered that a certain neighbour had owed the pedlar +something for a Rampuri shawl, but had falsely +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +denied having bought it, and that in the course of the +quarrel Rahmun had struck him. Now, in the heat +of his excitement, the prisoner began calling his enemy +all sorts of names, when suddenly in a verandah +of my house appeared my little Mini, with her usual +<a id="t_exclamation"></a><a href="#idx_exclamation" class="indx">exclamation</a>: "O Cabuliwallah! Cabuliwallah!" +Rahmun's face lighted up as he turned to her. He +had no bag under his arm to-day, so she could not +discuss the elephant with him. She at once therefore +proceeded to the next question: "Are you going to +the father-in-law's house?" Rahmun laughed and +said: "Just where I am going, little one!" Then, +seeing that the reply did not amuse the child, he held +up his fettered hands. "Ah!" he said, "I would +have thrashed that old father-in-law, but my hands +are bound!"</p> + +<p>On a charge of murderous assault, Rahmun was +sentenced to some years' imprisonment.</p> + +<p>Time passed away and he was not remembered. +The accustomed work in the accustomed place was +ours, and the thought of the once free mountaineer +spending his years in prison seldom or never occurred +to us. Even my light-hearted Mini, I am ashamed +to say, forgot her old friend. New companions +filled her life. As she grew older, she spent more +of her time with girls. So much time indeed did +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +she spend with them that she came no more, as she +used to do, to her father's room. I was scarcely +on speaking terms with her.</p> + +<p>Years had passed away. It was once more autumn +and we had made arrangements for our Mini's +marriage. It was to take place during the Puja Holidays. +With Durga returning to Kailas, the light of +our home also was to depart to her husband's house, +and leave her father's in the shadow.</p> + +<p>The morning was bright. After the rains, there +was a sense of ablution in the air, and the sun-rays +looked like pure gold. So bright were they, that +they gave a beautiful radiance even to the sordid +brick walls of our Calcutta lanes. Since early dawn +that day the wedding-pipes had been sounding, and +at each beat my own heart throbbed. The wail of +the tune, Bhairavi, seemed to intensify my pain at +the approaching <a id="t_separation"></a><a href="#idx_separation" class="indx">separation</a>. My Mini was to be +married that night.</p> + +<p>From early morning noise and bustle had pervaded +the house. In the courtyard the canopy had +to be slung on its bamboo poles; the chandeliers with +their tinkling sound must be hung in each room and +verandah. There was no end of hurry and excitement. +I was sitting in my study, looking through the +accounts, when some one entered, saluting respectfully, +and stood before me. It was Rahmun the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> +Cabuliwallah. At first I did not recognise him. He +had no bag, nor the long hair, nor the same vigour +that he used to have. But he smiled, and I knew +him again.</p> + +<p>"When did you come, Rahmun?" I asked him.</p> + +<p>"Last evening," he said, "I was released from +jail."</p> + +<p>The words struck harsh upon my ears. I had +never before talked with one who had wounded his +fellow, and my heart shrank within itself when I +realised this; for I felt that the day would have been +better-omened had he not turned up.</p> + +<p>"There are ceremonies going on," I said, "and +I am busy. Could you perhaps come another day?"</p> + +<p>At once he turned to go; but as he reached the +door he hesitated, and said: "May I not see the +little one, sir, for a moment?" It was his belief that +Mini was still the same. He had pictured her running +to him as she used, calling "O Cabuliwallah! +Cabuliwallah!" He had imagined too that they +would laugh and talk together, just as of old. In +fact, in memory of former days he had brought, carefully +wrapped up in paper, a few almonds and raisins +and grapes, obtained somehow from a countryman; +for his own little fund was dispersed.</p> + +<p>I said again: "There is a ceremony in the house, +and you will not be able to see any one to-day." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p> + +<p>The man's face fell. He looked wistfully at me +for a moment, then said "Good morning," and went +out.</p> + +<p>I felt a little sorry, and would have called him +back, but I found he was returning of his own accord. +He came close up to me holding out his offerings with +the words: "I brought these few things, sir, for +the little one. Will you give them to her?"</p> + +<p>I took them and was going to pay him, but he +caught my hand and said: "You are very kind, sir! +Keep me in your <a id="t_recollect"></a><a href="#idx_recollect" class="indx">recollect</a>ion. Do not offer me +money!—You have a little girl: I too have one like +her in my own home. I think of her, and bring fruits +to your child—not to make a profit for myself."</p> + +<p>Saying this, he put his hand inside his big loose +robe, and brought out a small and dirty piece of +paper. With great care he unfolded this, and +smoothed it out with both hands on my table. It +bore the <a id="t_impression"></a><a href="#idx_impression" class="indx">impression</a> of a little hand. Not a <a id="t_photograph"></a><a href="#idx_photograph" class="indx">photograph</a>. +Not a drawing. The impression of an ink-smeared +hand laid flat on the paper. This touch of +his own little daughter had been always on his heart, +as he had come year after year to Calcutta to sell his +wares in the streets.</p> + +<p>Tears came to my eyes. I forgot that he was a +poor Cabuli fruit-seller, while I was—. But no, +what was I more than he? He also was a father. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> + +<p>That impression of the hand of his little <i>Pārbati</i> in +her distant mountain home reminded me of my own +little Mini.</p> + +<p>I sent for Mini immediately from the inner apartment. +Many difficulties were raised, but I would not +listen. Clad in the red silk of her wedding-day, +with the sandal paste on her forehead, and adorned +as a young bride, Mini came, and stood bashfully +before me.</p> + +<p>The Cabuliwallah looked a little staggered at the +apparition. He could not revive their old friendship. +At last he smiled and said: "Little one, are +you going to your father-in-law's house?"</p> + +<p>But Mini now understood the meaning of the word +"father-in-law," and she could not reply to him as of +old. She flushed up at the question, and stood +before him with her bride-like face turned down.</p> + +<p>I remembered the day when the Cabuliwallah and +my Mini had first met, and I felt sad. When she +had gone, Rahmun heaved a deep sigh, and sat down +on the floor. The idea had suddenly come to him +that his daughter too must have grown in this long +time, and that he would have to make friends with +her anew. Assuredly he would not find her as he +used to know her. And besides, what might not +have happened to her in these eight years?</p> + +<p>The marriage-pipes sounded, and the mild autumn +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +sun streamed round us. But Rahmun sat in the little +Calcutta lane, and saw before him the barren mountains +of Afghanistan.</p> + +<p>I took out a bank-note and gave it to him, saying: +"Go back to your own daughter, Rahmun, in your +own country, and may the happiness of your meeting +bring good fortune to my child!"</p> + +<p>Having made this present, I had to curtail some +of the festivities. I could not have the electric lights +I had <a id="t_intend"></a><a href="#idx_intend" class="indx">intended</a>, nor the military band, and the ladies +of the house were despondent at it. But to me the +wedding-feast was all the brighter for the thought +that in a distant land a long-lost father met again +with his only child.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_precarious"></a><a href="#t_precarious" class="indx">precarious</a>.</b> From the root "prec," meaning prayer. +Compare <i>deprecate</i>, <i>imprecation</i>; "precarious" means, +therefore, held by entreaty, and thus insecure.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_impending"></a><a href="#t_impending" class="indx">impending</a>.</b> From the Latin "pendere," to hang. Compare +<i>depend</i>, <i>expend</i>, <i>expensive</i>, <i>pendant</i>, <i>suspend</i>, <i>interdependent</i>, +<i>independent</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_judicious"></a><a href="#t_judicious" class="indx">judicious</a>.</b> From the root "jus," "jud," meaning law, +right. Compare <i>judge</i>, <i>judicial</i>, <i>judgment</i>, <i>just</i>, <i>prejudge</i>, +<i>adjustment</i>, <i>adjudicate</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_euphemism"></a><a href="#t_euphemism" class="indx">euphemism</a>.</b> A Greek root "phe," meaning speech. Compare +<i>blasphemy</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_transported"></a><a href="#t_transported" class="indx">transported</a>.</b> From the Latin "portare," to carry. Compare +<i>porter</i>, <i>import</i>, <i>export</i>, <i>deport</i>, <i>support</i>, <i>deportation</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_intervene"></a><a href="#t_intervene" class="indx">intervene</a>.</b> From the Latin "venire," to come. Compare +<i>convenient</i>, <i>convene</i>, <i>supervene</i>, <i>prevent</i>. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_conclusion"></a><a href="#t_conclusion" class="indx">conclusion</a>.</b> From the Latin "claudere," to close, shut. +Compare <i>include</i>, <i>preclude</i>, <i>exclude</i>, <i>exclusive</i>, <i>exclusion</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_exclamation"></a><a href="#t_exclamation" class="indx">exclamation</a>.</b> From the Latin "clamare," to cry out. +Compare <i>clamour</i>, <i>proclaim</i>, <i>proclamation</i>, <i>clamorous</i>, +<i>disclaim</i>, <i>declaim</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_separation"></a><a href="#t_separation" class="indx">separation</a>.</b> From the Latin "parare," to make ready. +Compare <i>prepare</i>, <i>preparation</i>, <i>compare</i>, <i>comparison</i>, +<i>comparative</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_recollect"></a><a href="#t_recollect" class="indx">recollect</a>.</b> From the Latin "legere," to choose. Compare +<i>collect</i>, <i>elect</i>, <i>election</i>, <i>college</i>, <i>eligible</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_impression"></a><a href="#t_impression" class="indx">impression</a>.</b> From the Latin "premere," to press. Compare +<i>impressive</i>, <i>depress</i>, <i>express</i>, <i>suppress</i>, <i>oppress</i>, <i>pressure</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_photograph"></a><a href="#t_photograph" class="indx">photograph</a>.</b> From two Greek roots "phōt," meaning light +and "graph," meaning to write. Compare <i>epigraph</i>, +<i>epigram</i>, <i>photographic</i>, <i>phosphorus</i>, <i>graph</i>, <i>diagram</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_intend"></a><a href="#t_intend" class="indx">intend</a>.</b> From the Latin "tendere," meaning to stretch. +Compare <i>extend</i>, <i>superintend</i>, <i>attend</i>, <i>attendant</i>, <i>extensive</i>, +<i>tense</i>, <i>pretend</i>, <i>distend</i>, <i>contend</i>.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> +<p class="prechap">THE HOME-COMING</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="II"></a>II<br /> +<br /> +THE HOME-COMING</h2> + +<p><span class="smcap">Phatik Chakravorti</span> was ringleader among the +boys of the village. A new mischief got into his +head. There was a heavy log lying on the mud-flat +of the river waiting to be shaped into a mast +for a boat. He decided that they should all work +together to shift the log by main force from its place +and roll it away. The owner of the log would be +angry and surprised, and they would all enjoy the +fun. Every one seconded the <a id="t_proposal"></a><a href="#idx_proposal" class="indx">proposal</a>, and it was +carried <a id="t_unanimously"></a><a href="#idx_unanimously" class="indx">unanimously</a>.</p> + +<p>But just as the fun was about to begin, Mākhan, +Phatik's younger brother, sauntered up and sat down +on the log in front of them all without a word. The +boys were puzzled for a moment. He was pushed, +rather timidly, by one of the boys and told to get up; +but he remained quite unconcerned. He appeared +like a young <a id="t_philosopher"></a><a href="#idx_philosopher" class="indx">philosopher</a> meditating on the futility of +games. Phatik was furious. "Mākhan," he cried, +"if you don't get down this minute I'll thrash you!" +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p> + +<p>Mākhan only moved to a more comfortable position.</p> + +<p>Now, if Phatik was to keep his regal dignity before +the public, it was clear he ought to carry out his +threat. But his courage failed him at the crisis. +His fertile brain, however, rapidly seized upon a +new manœuvre which would discomfit his brother and +afford his followers an added amusement. He gave +the word of command to roll the log and Mākhan +over together. Mākhan heard the order and made +it a point of honour to stick on. But he overlooked +the fact, like those who attempt earthly fame in other +matters, that there was peril in it.</p> + +<p>The boys began to heave at the log with all their +might, calling out, "One, two, three, go!" At the +word "go" the log went; and with it went Mākhan's +philosophy, glory and all.</p> + +<p>The other boys shouted themselves hoarse with +delight. But Phatik was a little frightened. He +knew what was coming. And, sure enough, Mākhan +rose from Mother Earth blind as Fate and screaming +like the Furies. He rushed at Phatik and scratched +his face and beat him and kicked him, and then went +crying home. The first act of the drama was over.</p> + +<p>Phatik wiped his face, and sat down on the edge +of a sunken barge by the river bank, and began to +chew a piece of grass. A boat came up to the landing +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> +and a middle-aged man, with grey hair and dark +<a id="t_moustache"></a><a href="#idx_moustache" class="indx">moustache</a>, stepped on shore. He saw the boy sitting +there doing nothing and asked him where the +Chakravortis lived. Phatik went on chewing the +grass and said: "Over there," but it was quite impossible +to tell where he pointed. The stranger +asked him again. He swung his legs to and fro +on the side of the barge and said: "Go and find +out," and continued to chew the grass as before.</p> + +<p>But now a servant came down from the house and +told Phatik his mother wanted him. Phatik refused +to move. But the servant was the master on this +occasion. He took Phatik up roughly and carried +him, kicking and struggling in impotent rage.</p> + +<p>When Phatik came into the house, his mother saw +him. She called out angrily: "So you have been +hitting Mākhan again?"</p> + +<p>Phatik answered indignantly: "No, I haven't! +Who told you that?"</p> + +<p>His mother shouted: "Don't tell lies! You +have."</p> + +<p>Phatik said sullenly: "I tell you, I haven't. +You ask Mākhan!" But Mākhan thought it best +to stick to his previous statement. He said: "Yes, +mother. Phatik did hit me."</p> + +<p>Phatik's patience was already exhausted. He +could not bear this injustice. He rushed at Mākhan +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +and hammered him with blows: "Take that," he +cried, "and that, and that, for telling lies."</p> + +<p>His mother took Mākhan's side in a moment, and +pulled Phatik away, beating him with her hands. +When Phatik pushed her aside, she shouted out: +"What! you little villain! Would you hit your own +mother?"</p> + +<p>It was just at this critical <a id="t_juncture"></a><a href="#idx_juncture" class="indx">juncture</a> that the grey-haired +stranger arrived. He asked what was the +matter. Phatik looked sheepish and ashamed.</p> + +<p>But when his mother stepped back and looked at +the stranger, her anger was changed to surprise. +For she recognized her brother and cried: "Why, +Dada! Where have you come from?"</p> + +<p>As she said these words, she bowed to the ground +and touched his feet. Her brother had gone away +soon after she had married; and he had started business +in Bombay. His sister had lost her husband +while he was there. Bishamber had now come back +to Calcutta and had at once made enquiries about +his sister. He had then hastened to see her as soon +as he found out where she was.</p> + +<p>The next few days were full of rejoicing. The +brother asked after the education of the two boys. +He was told by his sister that Phatik was a perpetual +nuisance. He was lazy, disobedient, and wild. +But Mākhan was as good as gold, as quiet as a lamb, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +and very fond of reading. Bishamber kindly offered +to take Phatik off his sister's hands and educate him +with his own children in Calcutta. The widowed +mother readily agreed. When his uncle asked Phatik +if he would like to go to Calcutta with him, his +joy knew no bounds and he said: "Oh, yes, uncle!" +in a way that made it quite clear that he meant it.</p> + +<p>It was an immense relief to the mother to get rid +of Phatik. She had a prejudice against the boy, and +no love was lost between the two brothers. She was +in daily fear that he would either drown Mākhan +some day in the river, or break his head in a fight, +or run him into some danger. At the same time she +was a little distressed to see Phatik's extreme eagerness +to get away.</p> + +<p>Phatik, as soon as all was settled, kept asking his +uncle every minute when they were to start. He +was on pins and needles all day long with excitement +and lay awake most of the night. He bequeathed +to Mākhan, in perpetuity, his fishing-rod, his big kite, +and his marbles. Indeed, at this time of departure, +his generosity towards Mākhan was unbounded.</p> + +<p>When they reached Calcutta, Phatik made the acquaintance +of his aunt for the first time. She was +by no means pleased with this unnecessary addition +to her family. She found her own three boys quite +enough to manage without taking any one else. And +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +to bring a village lad of fourteen into their midst was +terribly upsetting. Bishamber should really have +thought twice before committing such an indiscretion.</p> + +<p>In this world of human affairs there is no worse +nuisance than a boy at the age of fourteen. He is +neither ornamental nor useful. It is impossible to +shower affection on him as on a little boy; and he is +always getting in the way. If he talks with a childish +lisp he is called a baby, and if he answers in a +grown-up way he is called impertinent. In fact any +talk at all from him is resented. Then he is at the +<a id="t_unattractive"></a><a href="#idx_unattractive" class="indx">unattractive</a>, growing age. He grows out of his +clothes with indecent haste; his voice grows hoarse +and breaks and quavers; his face grows suddenly angular +and unsightly. It is easy to excuse the shortcomings +of early childhood, but it is hard to tolerate +even unavoidable lapses in a boy of fourteen. The +lad himself becomes painfully self-conscious. When +he talks with elderly people he is either unduly forward, +or else so unduly shy that he appears ashamed +of his very existence.</p> + +<p>Yet it is at this very age when, in his heart of +hearts, a young lad most craves for recognition and +love; and he becomes the devoted slave of any one +who shows him consideration. But none dare +openly love him, for that would be regarded as undue +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +indulgence and therefore bad for the boy. So, +what with scolding and chiding, he becomes very +much like a stray dog that has lost his master.</p> + +<p>For a boy of fourteen his own home is the only +Paradise. To live in a strange house with strange +people is little short of torture, while the height of +bliss is to receive the kind looks of women and never +to be slighted by them.</p> + +<p>It was anguish to Phatik to be the unwelcome +guest in his aunt's house, despised by this elderly +woman and slighted on every occasion. If ever she +asked him to do anything for her, he would be so +overjoyed that he would overdo it; and then she +would tell him not to be so stupid, but to get on with +his lessons.</p> + +<p>The cramped <a id="t_atmosphere"></a><a href="#idx_atmosphere" class="indx">atmosphere</a> of neglect oppressed +Phatik so much that he felt that he could hardly +breathe. He wanted to go out into the open country +and fill his lungs with fresh air. But there was no +open country to go to. Surrounded on all sides by +Calcutta houses and walls, he would dream night +after night of his village home and long to be back +there. He remembered the glorious meadow where +he used to fly his kite all day long; the broad river-banks +where he would wander about the live-long day +singing and shouting for joy; the narrow brook +where he could go and dive and swim at any time he +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +liked. He thought of his band of boy companions +over whom he was despot; and, above all, the +memory of that tyrant mother of his, who had such +a prejudice against him, occupied him day and night. +A kind of physical love like that of animals, a longing +to be in the presence of the one who is loved, an +inexpressible <a id="t_wistfulness"></a><a href="#idx_wistfulness" class="indx">wistfulness</a> during absence, a silent cry +of the inmost heart for the mother, like the lowing of +a calf in the twilight,—this love, which was almost +an animal instinct, agitated the shy, nervous, lean, uncouth +and ugly boy. No one could understand it, but +it preyed upon his mind continually.</p> + +<p>There was no more backward boy in the whole +school than Phatik. He gaped and remained silent +when the teacher asked him a question, and like an +overladen ass patiently suffered all the blows that +came down on his back. When other boys were out +at play, he stood wistfully by the window and gazed +at the roofs of the distant houses. And if by chance +he espied children playing on the open terrace of any +roof, his heart would ache with longing.</p> + +<p>One day he summoned up all his courage and asked +his uncle: "Uncle, when can I go home?"</p> + +<p>His uncle answered: "Wait till the <a id="t_holidays"></a><a href="#idx_holidays" class="indx">holidays</a> +come."</p> + +<p>But the holidays would not come till October and +there was a long time still to wait. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> + +<p>One day Phatik lost his lesson book. Even with +the help of books he had found it very difficult indeed +to prepare his lesson. Now it was impossible. Day +after day the teacher would cane him unmercifully. +His condition became so <a id="t_abjectly"></a><a href="#idx_abjectly" class="indx">abjectly</a> miserable that even +his cousins were ashamed to own him. They began +to jeer and insult him more than the other boys. +He went to his aunt at last and told her that he had +lost his book.</p> + +<p>His aunt pursed her lips in contempt and said: +"You great clumsy, country lout! How can I afford, +with all my family, to buy you new books five +times a month?"</p> + +<p>That night, on his way back from school, Phatik +had a bad headache with a fit of shivering. He felt +he was going to have an attack of malarial fever. +His one great fear was that he would be a nuisance +to his aunt.</p> + +<p>The next morning Phatik was nowhere to be seen. +All searches in the <a id="t_neighbourhood"></a><a href="#idx_neighbourhood" class="indx">neighbourhood</a> proved futile. +The rain had been pouring in torrents all night, and +those who went out in search of the boy got drenched +through to the skin. At last Bishamber asked help +from the police.</p> + +<p>At the end of the day a police van stopped at the +door before the house. It was still raining and the +streets were all flooded. Two constables brought +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> +out Phatik in their arms and placed him before +Bishamber. He was wet through from head to foot, +muddy all over, his face and eyes flushed red with +fever and his limbs trembling. Bishamber carried +him in his arms and took him into the inner apartments. +When his wife saw him she exclaimed: +"What a heap of trouble this boy has given us! +Hadn't you better send him home?"</p> + +<p>Phatik heard her words and sobbed out loud: +"Uncle, I was just going home; but they dragged +me back again."</p> + +<p>The fever rose very high, and all that night the +boy was delirious. Bishamber brought in a doctor. +Phatik opened his eyes, flushed with fever, and +looked up to the ceiling and said vacantly: "Uncle, +have the holidays come yet?"</p> + +<p>Bishamber wiped the tears from his own eyes and +took Phatik's lean and burning hands in his own and +sat by him through the night. The boy began again +to mutter. At last his voice became excited: +"Mother!" he cried, "don't beat me like that.... +Mother! I <i>am</i> telling the truth!"</p> + +<p>The next day Phatik became conscious for a short +time. He turned his eyes about the room, as if +expecting some one to come. At last, with an air +of disappointment, his head sank back on the pillow. +He turned his face to the wall with a deep sigh. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> + +<p>Bishamber knew his thoughts and bending down +his head whispered: "Phatik, I have sent for your +mother."</p> + +<p>The day went by. The doctor said in a troubled +voice that the boy's condition was very critical.</p> + +<p>Phatik began to cry out: "By the mark—three +fathoms. By the mark—four fathoms. By the +mark——." He had heard the sailor on the river-steamer +calling out the mark on the plumb-line. +Now he was himself plumbing an unfathomable sea.</p> + +<p>Later in the day Phatik's mother burst into the +room, like a whirlwind, and began to toss from side +to side and moan and cry in a loud voice.</p> + +<p>Bishamber tried to calm her agitation, but she +flung herself on the bed, and cried: "Phatik, my +darling, my darling."</p> + +<p>Phatik stopped his restless movements for a moment. +His hands ceased beating up and down. He +said: "Eh?"</p> + +<p>The mother cried again: "Phatik, my darling, +my darling."</p> + +<p>Phatik very slowly turned his head and without +seeing anybody said: "Mother, the holidays have +come."</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_proposal"></a><a href="#t_proposal" class="indx">proposal</a>.</b> From the Latin word "ponere," to place. +Compare <i>position</i>, <i>post</i>, <i>depose</i>, <i>impose</i>, <i>component</i>, +<i>composition</i>, <i>repose</i>.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_unanimously"></a><a href="#t_unanimously" class="indx">unanimously</a>.</b> From the Latin "unus," one, and "animus," +mind. Compare <i>magnanimous</i>, <i>pusillanimous</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_philosopher"></a><a href="#t_philosopher" class="indx">philosopher</a>.</b> From the Greek "philos," a friend, and +"sophia," wisdom. Compare <i>philology</i>, <i>philanthropy</i>, +<i>theosophy</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_moustache"></a><a href="#t_moustache" class="indx">moustache</a>.</b> A French word which has found its home in +English. French is frequently giving to English new +words. Compare, in this story, <i>manœuvre</i>, <i>discomfit</i>, +<i>mischief</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_juncture"></a><a href="#t_juncture" class="indx">juncture</a>.</b> From the Latin "jungere," to join. Compare +<i>junction</i>, <i>conjunction</i>, <i>subjunctive</i>, <i>adjunct</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_unattractive"></a><a href="#t_unattractive" class="indx">unattractive</a>.</b> From the negative "un," meaning "not," +and the root "tract-," meaning to draw. Compare +<i>traction</i>, <i>tractor</i>, <i>attract</i>, <i>extract</i>, <i>subtract</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_atmosphere"></a><a href="#t_atmosphere" class="indx">atmosphere</a>.</b> From the Greek word "atmos," the air, and +"sphaira," a "globe." Compare <i>sphere</i>, <i>hemisphere</i>, +<i>photosphere</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_wistfulness"></a><a href="#t_wistfulness" class="indx">wistfulness</a>.</b> Probably from the English word "wish," +wishfulness. Several, however, regard it as coming +from an old word "whist" or "wist," meaning silent. +The vernacular word "udās" has the same meaning.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_abjectly"></a><a href="#t_abjectly" class="indx">abjectly</a>.</b> From the Latin word "jacere," to throw. +Compare <i>ad-jec-tive</i>, <i>subject</i>, <i>object</i>, <i>project</i>, <i>inject</i>, +<i>reject</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_neighbourhood"></a><a href="#t_neighbourhood" class="indx">neighbourhood</a>.</b> From a Saxon word meaning near, nigh; +"hood" or "head" is a common addition to Saxon +words denoting the quality or character. Compare +<i>knighthood</i>, <i>manhood</i>, <i>boyhood</i>, <i>womanhood</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_holidays"></a><a href="#t_holidays" class="indx">holidays</a>.</b> This word is made up of two words, "holy" +and "days." The religious days of the Church were +those on which no one worked and thus they got the +meaning of holidays as opposed to working days.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p class="prechap">ONCE THERE WAS A KING</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="III"></a>III<br /> +<br /> +ONCE THERE WAS A KING</h2> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time there was a king."</p> + +<p>When we were children there was no need to know +who the king in the fairy story was. It didn't matter +whether he was called Shiladitya or Shaliban, +whether he lived at Kashi or Kanauj. The thing +that made a seven-year-old boy's heart go thump, +thump with delight was this one <a id="t_sovereign"></a><a href="#idx_sovereign" class="indx">sovereign</a> truth, this +reality of all realities: "Once there was a king."</p> + +<p>But the readers of this modern age are far more +exact and exacting. When they hear such an opening +to a story, they are at once critical and <a id="t_suspicious"></a><a href="#idx_suspicious" class="indx">suspicious</a>. +They apply the searchlight of science to its legendary +haze and ask: "Which king?"</p> + +<p>The story-tellers have become more precise in +their turn. They are no longer content with the old +indefinite, "There was a king," but assume instead +a look of profound learning and begin: "Once +there was a king named Ajatasatru."</p> + +<p>The modern reader's curiosity, however, is not so +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> +easily satisfied. He <a id="t_blinks"></a><a href="#idx_blinks" class="indx">blinks</a> at the author through his +scientific spectacles and asks again: "Which Ajatasatru?"</p> + +<p>When we were young, we understood all sweet +things; and we could detect the sweets of a fairy story +by an unerring science of our own. We never cared +for such useless things as knowledge. We only +cared for truth. And our <a id="t_unsophisticated"></a><a href="#idx_unsophisticated" class="indx">unsophisticated</a> little +hearts knew well where the Crystal Palace of Truth +lay and how to reach it. But to-day we are expected +to write pages of facts, while the truth is simply +this:</p> + +<p>"There was a king."</p> + +<p>I remember vividly that evening in Calcutta when +the fairy story began. The rain and the storm had +been incessant. The whole of the city was flooded. +The water was knee-deep in our lane. I had a +straining hope, which was almost a certainty, that +my tutor would be prevented from coming that +evening. I sat on the stool in the far corner of the +verandah looking down the lane, with a heart beating +faster and faster. Every minute I kept my eye +on the rain, and when it began to diminish I prayed +with all my might: "Please, God, send some more +rain till half-past seven is over." For I was quite +ready to believe that there was no other need for rain +except to protect one helpless boy one evening in one +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +corner of Calcutta from the deadly clutches of his +tutor.</p> + +<p>If not in answer to my prayer, at any rate according +to some grosser law of nature, the rain did not +give up.</p> + +<p>But, alas, nor did my teacher!</p> + +<p>Exactly to the minute, in the bend of the lane, +I saw his approaching <a id="t_umbrella"></a><a href="#idx_umbrella" class="indx">umbrella</a>. The great bubble +of hope burst in my breast, and my heart collapsed. +Truly, if there is a punishment to fit the crime after +death, then my tutor will be born again as me, and +I shall be born as my tutor.</p> + +<p>As soon as I saw his umbrella I ran as hard as I +could to my mother's room. My mother and my +grandmother were sitting opposite one another playing +cards by the light of a lamp. I ran into the +room, and flung myself on the bed beside my mother, +and said:</p> + +<p>"Mother, the tutor has come, and I have such a +bad headache; couldn't I have no lessons to-day?"</p> + +<p>I hope no child of immature age will be allowed +to read this story, and I sincerely trust it will not be +used in text-books or primers for junior classes. +For what I did was dreadfully bad, and I received no +punishment whatever. On the contrary, my wickedness +was crowned with success.</p> + +<p>My mother said to me: "All right," and turning +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +to the servant added: "Tell the tutor that he can +go back home."</p> + +<p>It was perfectly plain that she didn't think my +illness very serious, as she went on with her game +as before and took no further notice. And I also, +burying my head in the pillow, laughed to my heart's +content. We perfectly understood one another, my +mother and I.</p> + +<p>But every one must know how hard it is for a boy +of seven years old to keep up the illusion of illness +for a long time. After about a minute I got hold +of Grandmother and said: "Grannie, do tell me +a story."</p> + +<p>I had to ask this many times. Grannie and +Mother went on playing cards and took no notice. +At last Mother said to me: "Child, don't bother. +Wait till we've finished our game." But I persisted: +"Grannie, do tell me a story." I told +Mother she could finish her game to-morrow, but she +must let Grannie tell me a story there and then.</p> + +<p>At last Mother threw down the cards and said: +"You had better do what he wants. I can't manage +him." Perhaps she had it in her mind that she +would have no tiresome tutor on the morrow, while +I should be obliged to be back at those stupid lessons.</p> + +<p>As soon as ever Mother had given way, I rushed +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +at Grannie. I got hold of her hand, and, dancing +with delight, dragged her inside my mosquito curtain +on to the bed. I clutched hold of the bolster with +both hands in my excitement, and jumped up and +down with joy, and when I had got a little quieter +said: "Now, Grannie, let's have the story!"</p> + +<p>Grannie went on: "And the king had a queen."</p> + +<p>That was good to begin with. He had only one!</p> + +<p>It is usual for kings in fairy stories to be <a id="t_extravagant"></a><a href="#idx_extravagant" class="indx">extravagant</a> +in queens. And whenever we hear that there +are two queens our hearts begin to sink. One is sure +to be unhappy. But in Grannie's story that danger +was past. He had only one queen.</p> + +<p>We next hear that the king had not got any son. +At the age of seven I didn't think there was any +need to bother if a man had no son. He might +only have been in the way.</p> + +<p>Nor are we greatly excited when we hear that the +king has gone away into the forest to practise austerities +in order to get a son. There was only one +thing that would have made me go into the forest, +and that was to get away from my tutor!</p> + +<p>But the king left behind with his queen a small girl, +who grew up into a beautiful princess.</p> + +<p>Twelve years pass away, and the king goes on +practising austerities, and never thinks all this while +of his beautiful daughter. The princess has reached +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +the full bloom of her youth. The age of marriage +has passed, but the king does not return. And the +queen pines away with grief and cries: "Is my +golden daughter destined to die unmarried? Ah +me, what a fate is mine!"</p> + +<p>Then the queen sent men to the king to entreat +him earnestly to come back for a single night and +take one meal in the palace. And the king consented.</p> + +<p>The queen cooked with her own hand, and with +the greatest care, sixty-four dishes. She made a +seat for him of sandal-wood and arranged the food +in plates of gold and cups of silver. The princess +stood behind with the peacock-tail fan in her hand. +The king, after twelve years' absence, came into the +house, and the princess waved the fan, lighting up all +the room with her beauty. The king looked in his +daughter's face and forgot to take his food.</p> + +<p>At last he asked his queen: "Pray, who is this +girl whose beauty shines as the gold image of the +goddess? Whose daughter is she?"</p> + +<p>The queen beat her forehead and cried: "Ah, +how evil is my fate! Do you not know your own +daughter?"</p> + +<p>The king was struck with amazement. He said +at last: "My tiny daughter has grown to be a +woman." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span></p> + +<p>"What else?" the queen said with a sigh. "Do +you not know that twelve years have passed by?"</p> + +<p>"But why did you not give her in marriage?" +asked the king.</p> + +<p>"You were away," the queen said. "And how +could I find her a suitable husband?"</p> + +<p>The king became vehement with excitement. +"The first man I see to-morrow," he said, "when I +come out of the palace shall marry her."</p> + +<p>The princess went on waving her fan of peacock +feathers, and the king finished his meal.</p> + +<p>The next morning, as the king came out of his +palace, he saw the son of a Brahman gathering sticks +in the forest outside the palace gates. His age was +about seven or eight.</p> + +<p>The King said: "I will marry my daughter to +him."</p> + +<p>Who can interfere with a king's command? At +once the boy was called, and the marriage garlands +were exchanged between him and the princess.</p> + +<p>At this point I came up close to my wise Grannie +and asked her eagerly: "When then?"</p> + +<p>In the bottom of my heart there was a devout wish +to substitute myself for that fortunate wood-gatherer +of seven years old. The night was resonant with +the patter of rain. The earthen lamp by my bedside +was burning low. My grandmother's voice +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +droned on as she told the story. And all these things +served to create in a corner of my credulous heart +the belief that I had been gathering sticks in the dawn +of some indefinite time in the kingdom of some unknown +king, and in a moment garlands had been +exchanged between me and the princess, beautiful as +the Goddess of Grace. She had a gold band on her +hair and gold earrings in her ears. She had a necklace +and bracelets of gold, and a golden waist-chain +round her waist, and a pair of golden anklets tinkled +above her feet.</p> + +<p>If my grandmother were an author, how many <a id="t_explanation"></a><a href="#idx_explanation" class="indx">explanations</a> +she would have to offer for this little +story! First of all, every one would ask why the +king remained twelve years in the forest? Secondly, +why should the king's daughter remain unmarried all +that while? This would be regarded as absurd.</p> + +<p>Even if she could have got so far without a quarrel, +still there would have been a great hue and cry +about the marriage itself. First, it never happened. +Secondly, how could there be a marriage between a +princess of the Warrior Caste and a boy of the +priestly Brahman Caste? Her readers would have +imagined at once that the writer was preaching +against our social customs in an underhand way. +And they would write letters to the papers.</p> + +<p>So I pray with all my heart that my grandmother +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +may be born a grandmother again, and not through +some cursed fate take birth as her luckless grandson.</p> + +<p>With a throb of joy and delight, I asked Grannie: +"What then?"</p> + +<p>Grannie went on: Then the princess took her +little husband away in great distress, and built a large +palace with seven wings, and began to cherish her +husband with great care.</p> + +<p>I jumped up and down in my bed and clutched +at the bolster more tightly than ever and said: +"What then?"</p> + +<p>Grannie continued: The little boy went to school +and learnt many lessons from his teachers, and as he +grew up his class-fellows began to ask him: "Who +is that beautiful lady living with you in the palace +with the seven wings?"</p> + +<p>The Brahman's son was eager to know who she +was. He could only remember how one day he had +been gathering sticks and a great disturbance arose. +But all that was so long ago that he had no clear +recollection.</p> + +<p>Four or five years passed in this way. His companions +always asked him: "Who is that beautiful +lady in the palace with the seven wings?" And +the Brahman's son would come back from school and +sadly tell the princess: "My school companions always +ask me who is that beautiful lady in the palace +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +with the seven wings, and I can give them no reply. +Tell me, oh, tell me, who you are!"</p> + +<p>The princess said: "Let it pass to-day. I will +tell you some other day." And every day the Brahman's +son would ask: "Who are you?" and the +princess would reply: "Let it pass to-day. I will +tell you some other day." In this manner four or +five more years passed away.</p> + +<p>At last the Brahman's son became very impatient +and said: "If you do not tell me to-day who you +are, O beautiful lady, I will leave this palace with +the seven wings." Then the princess said: "I will +certainly tell you to-morrow."</p> + +<p>Next day the Brahman's son, as soon as he came +home from school, said: "Now, tell me who you +are." The princess said: "To-night I will tell you +after supper, when you are in bed."</p> + +<p>The Brahman's son said: "Very well"; and he +began to count the hours in expectation of the night. +And the princess, on her side, spread white flowers +over the golden bed, and lighted a gold lamp with +fragrant oil, and adorned her hair, and dressed herself +in a beautiful robe of blue, and began to count +the hours in expectation of the night.</p> + +<p>That evening when her husband, the Brahman's +son, had finished his meal, too excited almost to eat, +and had gone to the golden bed in the bedchamber +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +strewn with flowers, he said to himself: "To-night +I shall surely know who this beautiful lady is in the +palace with the seven wings."</p> + +<p>The princess took for her food that which was left +over by her husband, and slowly entered the bedchamber. +She had to answer that night the question, +who was the beautiful lady that lived in the palace +with the seven wings. And as she went up to the +bed to tell him she found a serpent had crept out of +the flowers and had bitten the Brahman's son. Her +boy-husband was lying on the bed of flowers, with +face pale in death.</p> + +<p>My heart suddenly ceased to throb, and I asked +with choking voice: "What then?"</p> + +<p>Grannie said: "Then ..."</p> + +<p>But what is the use of going on any further with +the story? It would only lead on to what was more +and more impossible. The boy of seven did not +know that, if there were some "What then?" after +death, no grandmother of a grandmother could tell +us all about it.</p> + +<p>But the child's faith never admits defeat, and +it would snatch at the mantle of death itself to turn +him back. It would be outrageous for him to think +that such a story of one teacherless evening could so +suddenly come to a stop. Therefore the grandmother +had to call back her story from the ever-shut +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +chamber of the great End, but she does it so simply: +it is merely by floating the dead body on a banana +stem on the river, and having some <a id="t_incantation"></a><a href="#idx_incantation" class="indx">incantations</a> read +by a <a id="t_magician"></a><a href="#idx_magician" class="indx">magician</a>. But in that rainy night and in the +dim light of a lamp death loses all its horror in the +mind of the boy, and seems nothing more than a deep +slumber of a single night. When the story ends the +tired eyelids are weighed down with sleep. Thus it +is that we send the little body of the child floating +on the back of sleep over the still water of time, and +then in the morning read a few verses of incantation +to restore him to the world of life and light.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_sovereign"></a><a href="#t_sovereign" class="indx">sovereign</a>.</b> This word is taken directly from the French +language. It is connected with the Latin "supremus."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_blinks"></a><a href="#t_blinks" class="indx">blinks</a>.</b> Many English words are made up from the supposed +sound or motion to be represented. Compare <i>to +splash</i>, <i>to plump</i>, <i>to quack</i>, <i>to throb</i>, <i>to swish</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_suspicious"></a><a href="#t_suspicious" class="indx">suspicious</a>.</b> From the Latin word "spicere," to look. +Compare <i>auspicious</i>, <i>respect</i>, <i>inspect</i>, <i>aspect.</i></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_unsophisticated"></a><a href="#t_unsophisticated" class="indx">unsophisticated</a>.</b> This word comes from the Greek "sophistes," +meaning a sophist, that is to say, one who +makes a pretence of being wise. Unsophisticated means +one who makes no pretence to be learned.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_umbrella"></a><a href="#t_umbrella" class="indx">umbrella</a>.</b> This word has come into English from the +Italian language. "Umbra" in Latin means "shade" +and Ombrella in Italian means "little shade."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_extravagant"></a><a href="#t_extravagant" class="indx">extravagant</a>.</b> From the Latin root "vag," meaning to +wander. The word means "wandering outside" and +so "going beyond bounds." Compare <i>vagrant</i>, <i>vagabond</i>, +<i>vague.</i> +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_explanation"></a><a href="#t_explanation" class="indx">explanation</a>.</b> From the Latin "planus," meaning plain. +Compare <i>explanatory</i>, <i>explain</i>, <i>plain</i>, <i>plane.</i></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_incantation"></a><a href="#t_incantation" class="indx">incantation</a>.</b> From the Latin "cantare," to chant, something +chanted over a person.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_magician"></a><a href="#t_magician" class="indx">magician</a>.</b> From the Greek "magus," an astrologer. +Compare <i>magic</i>, <i>the Magi</i>, <i>magical.</i></p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p> +<p class="prechap">THE CHILD'S RETURN</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="IV"></a>IV<br /> +<br /> +THE CHILD'S RETURN</h2> + +<h3>I</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Raicharan</span> was twelve years old when he came as a +servant to his master's house. He belonged to the +same caste as his master and was given his master's +little son to nurse. As time went on the boy left +Raicharan's arms to go to school. From school he +went on to college, and after college he entered the +<a id="t_judicial"></a><a href="#idx_judicial" class="indx">judicial</a> service. Always, until he married, Raicharan +was his sole attendant.</p> + +<p>But when a mistress came into the house, Raicharan +found two masters instead of one. All his +former influence passed to the new mistress. This +was <a id="t_compensate"></a><a href="#idx_compensate" class="indx">compensate</a>d by a fresh arrival. Anukul had a +son born to him and Raicharan by his unsparing attentions +soon got a complete hold over the child. +He used to toss him up in his arms, call to him in +absurd baby language, put his face close to the baby's +and draw it away again with a laugh.</p> + +<p>Presently the child was able to crawl and cross the +doorway. When Raicharan went to catch him, he +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +would scream with mischievous laughter and make +for safety. Raicharan was amazed at the profound +skill and exact judgment the baby showed when pursued. +He would say to his mistress with a look of +awe and mystery: "Your son will be a judge some +day."</p> + +<p>New wonders came in their turn. When the baby +began to toddle, that was to Raicharan an epoch in +human history. When he called his father Ba-ba +and his mother Ma-ma and Raicharan Chan-na, then +Raicharan's <a id="t_ecstasy"></a><a href="#idx_ecstasy" class="indx">ecstasy</a> knew no bounds. He went out +to tell the news to all the world.</p> + +<p>After a while Raicharan was asked to show his +ingenuity in other ways. He had, for instance, to +play the part of a horse, holding the reins between +his teeth and prancing with his feet. He had also +to wrestle with his little charge; and if he could not, +by a wrestler's trick, fall on his back defeated at the +end a great outcry was certain.</p> + +<p>About this time Anukul was <a id="t_transferred"></a><a href="#idx_transferred" class="indx">transferred</a> to a district +on the banks of the Padma. On his way +through Calcutta he bought his son a little go-cart. +He bought him also a yellow satin waistcoat, a gold-laced +cap, and some gold bracelets and anklets. +Raicharan was wont to take these out and put them +on his little charge, with ceremonial pride, whenever +they went for a walk. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then came the rainy season and day after day the +rain poured down in torrents. The hungry river, +like an enormous serpent, swallowed down terraces, +villages, cornfields, and covered with its flood the tall +grasses and wild casuarinas on the sandbanks. +From time to time there was a deep thud as the +river-banks <a id="t_crumble"></a><a href="#idx_crumble" class="indx">crumble</a>d. The unceasing roar of the +main current could be heard from far away. +Masses of foam, carried swiftly past, proved to the +eye the swiftness of the stream.</p> + +<p>One afternoon the rain cleared. It was cloudy, +but cool and bright. Raicharan's little despot +did not want to stay in on such a fine afternoon. +His lordship climbed into the go-cart. Raicharan, +between the shafts, dragged him slowly along till +he reached the rice-fields on the banks of the river. +There was no one in the fields and no boat on the +stream. Across the water, on the farther side, the +clouds were rifted in the west. The silent ceremonial +of the setting sun was revealed in all its glowing +splendour. In the midst of that stillness the +child, all of a sudden, pointed with his finger in front +of him and cried: "Chan-na! Pitty fow."</p> + +<p>Close by on a mud-flat stood a large <i>Kadamba</i> +tree in full flower. My lord, the baby, looked at it +with greedy eyes and Raicharan knew his meaning. +Only a short time before he had made, out of these +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> +very flower balls, a small go-cart; and the child had +been so entirely happy dragging it about with a +string, that for the whole day Raicharan was not +asked to put on the reins at all. He was <a id="t_promoted"></a><a href="#idx_promoted" class="indx">promoted</a> +from a horse into a groom.</p> + +<p>But Raicharan had no wish that evening to go +splashing knee-deep through the mud to reach the +flowers. So he quickly pointed his finger in the opposite +direction, calling out: "Look, baby, look! +Look at the bird." And with all sorts of curious +noises he pushed the go-cart rapidly away from the +tree.</p> + +<p>But a child, destined to be a judge, cannot be put +off so easily. And besides, there was at the time +nothing to attract his eyes. And you cannot keep up +for ever the pretence of an imaginary bird.</p> + +<p>The little Master's mind was made up, and Raicharan +was at his wits' end. "Very well, baby," he +said at last, "you sit still in the cart, and I'll go and +get you the pretty flower. Only mind you don't go +near the water."</p> + +<p>As he said this, he made his legs bare to the knee, +and waded through the oozing mud towards the +tree.</p> + +<p>The moment Raicharan had gone, his little Master's +thoughts went off at racing speed to the forbidden +water. The baby saw the river rushing by, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +splashing and gurgling as it went. It seemed as +though the disobedient wavelets themselves were running +away from some greater Raicharan with the +laughter of a thousand children. At the sight of +their mischief, the heart of the human child grew +<a id="t_excited"></a><a href="#idx_excited" class="indx">excited</a> and restless. He got down stealthily from +the go-cart and toddled off towards the river. On +his way he picked up a small stick and leant over the +bank of the stream pretending to fish. The mischievous +fairies of the river with their mysterious +voices seemed inviting him into their play-house.</p> + +<p>Raicharan had plucked a handful of flowers from +the tree and was carrying them back in the end of +his cloth, with his face wreathed in smiles. But when +he reached the go-cart there was no one there. He +looked on all sides and there was no one there. He +looked back at the cart and there was no one there.</p> + +<p>In that first terrible moment his blood froze within +him. Before his eyes the whole universe swam +round like a dark mist. From the depth of his +broken heart he gave one piercing cry: "Master, +Master, little Master."</p> + +<p>But no voice answered "Chan-na." No child +laughed mischievously back: no scream of baby delight +welcomed his return. Only the river ran on +with its splashing, gurgling noise as before,—as +though it knew nothing at all and had no time to attend +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +to such a tiny human event as the death of a +child.</p> + +<p>As the evening passed by Raicharan's mistress became +very anxious. She sent men out on all sides +to search. They went with <a id="t_lantern"></a><a href="#idx_lantern" class="indx">lanterns</a> in their hands +and reached at last the banks of the Padma. There +they found Raicharan rushing up and down the fields, +like a stormy wind, shouting the cry of despair: +"Master, Master, little Master!"</p> + +<p>When they got Raicharan home at last, he fell +prostrate at the feet of his mistress. They shook +him, and questioned him, and asked him repeatedly +where he had left the child; but all he could say was +that he knew nothing.</p> + +<p>Though every one held the opinion that the Padma +had swallowed the child, there was a lurking doubt +left in the mind. For a band of <a id="t_gipsy"></a><a href="#idx_gipsy" class="indx">gipsies</a> had been +noticed outside the village that afternoon, and some +suspicion rested on them. The mother went so far +in her wild grief as to think it possible that Raicharan +himself had stolen the child. She called him +aside with piteous entreaty and said: "Raicharan, +give me back my baby. Give me back my child. +Take from me any money you ask, but give me back +my child!"</p> + +<p>Raicharan only beat his forehead in reply. His +mistress ordered him out of the house. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span></p> + +<p>Anukul tried to reason his wife out of this wholly +unjust suspicion: "Why on earth," he said, +"should he commit such a crime as that?"</p> + +<p>The mother only replied: "The baby had gold +ornaments on his body. Who knows?"</p> + +<p>It was impossible to reason with her after that.</p> + +<h3>II</h3> + +<p><ins class="corr" title="original had Raichran">Raicharan</ins> went back to his own village. Up to +this time he had had no son, and there was no hope +that any child would now be born to him. But it +came about before the end of a year that his wife +gave birth to a son and died.</p> + +<p>An overwhelming resentment at first grew up in +Raicharan's heart at the sight of this new baby. At +the back of his mind was resentful suspicion that it +had come as a <a id="t_usurper"></a><a href="#idx_usurper" class="indx">usurper</a> in place of the little Master. +He also thought it would be a grave offence to be +happy with a son of his own after what had happened +to his master's little child. Indeed, if it had +not been for a widowed sister, who mothered the +new baby, it would not have lived long.</p> + +<p>But a change gradually came over Raicharan's +mind. A wonderful thing happened. This new +baby in turn began to crawl about, and cross the +doorway with mischief in its face. It also showed +an amusing cleverness in making its escape to safety. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> +Its voice, its sounds of laughter and tears, its gestures, +were those of the little Master. On some +days, when Raicharan listened to its crying, his heart +suddenly began thumping wildly against his ribs, and +it seemed to him that his former little Master was +crying somewhere in the unknown land of death +because he had lost his Chan-na.</p> + +<p>Phailna (for that was the name Raicharan's sister +gave to the new baby) soon began to talk. It learnt +to say Ba-ba and Ma-ma with a baby accent. When +Raicharan heard those familiar sounds the mystery +suddenly became clear. The little Master could not +cast off the spell of his Chan-na and therefore he had +been reborn in his own house.</p> + +<p>The three arguments in favour of this were, to +Raicharan, altogether beyond dispute:</p> + +<p>The new baby was born soon after his little master's +death.</p> + +<p>His wife could never have accumulated such merit +as to give birth to a son in middle age.</p> + +<p>The new baby walked with a toddle and called +out Ba-ba and Ma-ma.—There was no sign lacking +which marked out the future judge.</p> + +<p>Then suddenly Raicharan remembered that terrible +accusation of the mother. "Ah," he said to +himself with amazement, "the mother's heart was +right. She knew I had stolen her child." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + +<p>When once he had come to this conclusion, he +was filled with remorse for his past neglect. He now +gave himself over, body and soul, to the new baby +and became its devoted attendant. He began to +bring it up as if it were the son of a rich man. He +bought a go-cart, a yellow satin waistcoat, and a +gold-embroidered cap. He melted down the ornaments +of his dead wife and made gold bangles and +anklets. He refused to let the little child play with +any one of the neighbourhood and became himself +its sole companion day and night. As the baby +grew up to boyhood, he was so petted and spoilt and +clad in such finery that the village children would +call him "Your Lordship," and jeer at him; and +older people regarded Raicharan as unaccountably +crazy about the child.</p> + +<p>At last the time came for the boy to go to school. +Raicharan sold his small piece of land and went to +Calcutta. There he got employment with great difficulty +as a servant and sent Phailna to school. He +spared no pains to give him the best education, the +best clothes, the best food. Meanwhile, he himself +lived on a mere handful of rice and would say in secret: +"Ah, my little Master, my dear little Master, +you loved me so much that you came back to my +house! You shall never suffer from any neglect of +mine." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<p>Twelve years passed away in this manner. The +boy was able to read and write well. He was bright +and healthy and good-looking. He paid a great deal +of attention to his personal appearance and was +specially careful in parting his hair. He was inclined +to extravagance and finery and spent money +freely. He could never quite look on Raicharan as +a father, because, though fatherly in affection, he +had the manner of a servant. A further fault was +this, that Raicharan kept secret from every one that +he himself was the father of the child.</p> + +<p>The students of the hostel, where Phailna was a +boarder, were greatly amused by Raicharan's country +manners, and I have to confess that behind his father's +back Phailna joined in their fun. But, in +the bottom of their hearts, all the students loved +the innocent and tender-hearted old man, and +Phailna was very fond of him also. But, as I have +said before, he loved him with a kind of condescension.</p> + +<p>Raicharan grew older and older, and his employer +was continually finding fault with him for his incompetent +work. He had been starving himself for the +boy's sake, so he had grown physically weak and no +longer up to his daily task. He would forget things +and his mind became dull and stupid. But his employer +expected a full servant's work out of him and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +would not brook excuses. The money that Raicharan +had brought with him from the sale of his land +was exhausted. The boy was continually grumbling +about his clothes and asking for more money.</p> + +<h3>III</h3> + +<p>Raicharan made up his mind. He gave up the situation +where he was working as a servant, and +left some money with Phailna and said: "I have +some business to do at home in my village, and shall +be back soon."</p> + +<p>He went off at once to Baraset where Anukul was +magistrate. Anukul's wife was still broken down +with grief. She had had no other child.</p> + +<p>One day Anukul was resting after a long and +weary day in court. His wife was buying, at an +exorbitant price, a herb from a mendicant quack, +which was said to ensure the birth of a child. A +voice of greeting was heard in the courtyard. +Anukul went out to see who was there. It was +Raicharan. Anukul's heart was softened when he +saw his old servant. He asked him many questions +and offered to take him back into service.</p> + +<p>Raicharan smiled faintly and said in reply: "I +want to make obeisance to my mistress."</p> + +<p>Anukul went with Raicharan into the house, +where the mistress did not receive him as warmly +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> +as his old master. Raicharan took no notice of this, +but folded his hands and said: "It was not the +Padma that stole your baby. It was I."</p> + +<p>Anukul exclaimed: "Great God! Eh! What! +Where is he?"</p> + +<p>Raicharan replied: "He is with me. I will +bring him the day after to-morrow."</p> + +<p>It was Sunday. There was no magistrate's court +sitting. Both husband and wife were looking expectantly +along the road, waiting from early morning +for Raicharan's appearance. At ten o'clock he +came leading Phailna by the hand.</p> + +<p>Anukul's wife, without a question, took the boy +into her lap and was wild with excitement, sometimes +laughing, sometimes weeping, touching him, kissing +his hair and his forehead, and gazing into his face +with hungry, eager eyes. The boy was very good-looking +and dressed like a gentleman's son. The +heart of Anukul brimmed over with a sudden rush +of affection.</p> + +<p>Nevertheless the magistrate in him asked: +"Have you any proofs?"</p> + +<p>Raicharan said: "How could there be any proof +of such a deed? God alone knows that I stole your +boy, and no one else in the world."</p> + +<p>When Anukul saw how eagerly his wife was +clinging to the boy, he realised the futility of asking +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> +for proofs. It would be wiser to believe. And +then,—where could an old man like Raicharan get +such a boy from? And why should his faithful servant +deceive him for nothing?</p> + +<p>"But," he added severely, "Raicharan, you must +not stay here."</p> + +<p>"Where shall I go, Master?" said Raicharan, in +a choking voice, folding his hands. "I am old. +Who will take in an old man as a servant?"</p> + +<p>The mistress said: "Let him stay. My child +will be pleased. I forgive him."</p> + +<p>But Anukul's <a id="t_magisterial"></a><a href="#idx_magisterial" class="indx">magisterial</a> conscience would not allow +him. "No," he said, "he cannot be forgiven +for what he has done."</p> + +<p>Raicharan bowed to the ground and clasped Anukul's +feet. "Master," he cried, "let me stay. It +was not I who did it. It was God."</p> + +<p>Anukul's conscience was more shocked than ever +when Raicharan tried to put the blame on God's +shoulders.</p> + +<p>"No," he said, "I could not allow it. I cannot +trust you any more. You have done an act of +treachery."</p> + +<p>Raicharan rose to his feet and said: "It was not +I who did it."</p> + +<p>"Who was it then?" asked Anukul.</p> + +<p>Raicharan replied: "It was my fate." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span></p> + +<p>But no educated man could take this for an excuse. +Anukul remained <a id="t_obdurate"></a><a href="#idx_obdurate" class="indx">obdurate</a>.</p> + +<p>When Phailna saw that he was the wealthy magistrate's +son, and not Raicharan's, he was angry at +first, thinking that he had been cheated all this time +of his birthright. But seeing Raicharan in distress, +he generously said to his father: "Father, forgive +him. Even if you don't let him live with us, let him +have a small monthly pension."</p> + +<p>After hearing this, Raicharan did not utter another +word. He looked for the last time on the +face of his son. He made obeisance to his old master +and mistress. Then he went out and was mingled +with the numberless people of the world.</p> + +<p>At the end of the month Anukul sent him some +money to his village. But the money came back. +There was no one there of the name of Raicharan.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_judicial"></a><a href="#t_judicial" class="indx">judicial</a>.</b> From the Latin word "judex," a judge. Compare +<i>judicious</i>, <i>judge</i>, <i>judgment</i>, <i>just</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_compensate"></a><a href="#t_compensate" class="indx">compensate</a>.</b> From the Latin word "pensare," to weigh. +Compare <i>dispense</i>, <i>dispensary</i>, <i>compensation</i>. (This +must not be confused with the Latin word "pendere," +to hang. Compare <i>suspend</i>, <i>expend</i>, <i>depend</i>.)</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_ecstasy"></a><a href="#t_ecstasy" class="indx">ecstasy</a>.</b> From two Greek words "ex" and "stasis," +meaning standing outside oneself.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_transferred"></a><a href="#t_transferred" class="indx">transferred</a>.</b> From the Latin word "ferre," to carry. +Compare <i>offer</i>, <i>defer</i>, <i>confer</i>, <i>prefer</i>, <i>proffer</i>, <i>infer</i>, <i>conference</i>, +<i>fertile</i>.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_crumble"></a><a href="#t_crumble" class="indx">crumble</a>.</b> To break into crumbs or little pieces.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_promoted"></a><a href="#t_promoted" class="indx">promoted</a>.</b> From the Latin word "movēre," to move. +Compare <i>motive</i>, <i>motion</i>, <i>motor</i>, <i>promotion</i>, <i>commotion</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_excited"></a><a href="#t_excited" class="indx">excited</a>.</b> From the Latin word "ciere," to set in motion. +Compare <i>incite</i>, <i>excitement</i>, <i>exciting</i>, <i>cite</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_lantern"></a><a href="#t_lantern" class="indx">lantern</a>.</b> A French word derived from the Greek "lampein," +to shine. Compare, <i>magic-lantern</i>, <i>lamp</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_gipsy"></a><a href="#t_gipsy" class="indx">gipsy</a>.</b> Also spelt gypsy, from "Egyptian"; because the +gipsies were supposed to come from Egypt.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_usurper"></a><a href="#t_usurper" class="indx">usurper</a>.</b> From the Latin word "usurpare." This word is +made up of "usus," use and "rapere," to snatch. +Compare <i>use</i>, <i>usual</i>, <i>usufruct</i>, <i>rapid</i>, <i>rapt</i>, <i>rapture</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_magisterial"></a><a href="#t_magisterial" class="indx">magisterial</a>.</b> From the Latin word "magister," a judge. +Compare <i>magistrate</i>, <i>magistracy</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_obdurate"></a><a href="#t_obdurate" class="indx">obdurate</a>.</b> From the Latin word "dūrus," hard. Compare +<i>endure</i>, <i>endurance</i>, <i>obduracy</i>.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p> +<p class="prechap">MASTER MASHAI</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="V"></a>V<br /> +<br /> +MASTER MASHAI</h2> + +<h3>I</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Adhar Babu</span> lives upon the interest of the capital +left him by his father. Only the <a id="t_broker"></a><a href="#idx_broker" class="indx">brokers</a>, negotiating +loans, come to his drawing room and smoke the +silver-chased hookah, and the clerks from the <a id="t_attorney"></a><a href="#idx_attorney" class="indx">attorney</a>'s +office discuss the terms of some <a id="t_mortgage"></a><a href="#idx_mortgage" class="indx">mortgage</a> or +the amount of the stamp fees. He is so careful with +his money that even the most dogged efforts of the +boys from the local football club fail to make any +impression on his pocket.</p> + +<p>At the time this story opens a new guest came +into his household. After a long period of despair, +his wife, Nanibala, bore him a son.</p> + +<p>The child resembled his mother,—large eyes, +well-formed nose, and fair complexion. Ratikanta, +Adharlal's protégé, gave verdict,—"He is worthy of +this noble house." They named him Venugopal.</p> + +<p>Never before had Adharlal's wife expressed any +opinion differing from her husband's on household +expenses. There had been a hot discussion now and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +then about the propriety of some necessary item and +up to this time she had merely acknowledged defeat +with silent contempt. But now Adharlal could no +longer maintain his supremacy. He had to give way +little by little when things for his son were in question.</p> + +<h3>II</h3> + +<p>As Venugopal grew up, his father gradually became +accustomed to spending money on him. He +obtained an old teacher, who had a considerable repute +for his learning and also for his success in +dragging impassable boys through their examinations. +But such a training does not lead to the cultivation +of <a id="t_amiability"></a><a href="#idx_amiability" class="indx">amiability</a>. This man tried his best to +win the boy's heart, but the little that was left in +him of the natural milk of human kindness had +turned sour, and the child <a id="t_repulsed"></a><a href="#idx_repulsed" class="indx">repulsed</a> his advances from +the very beginning. The mother, in consequence, +objected to him strongly, and complained that the +very sight of him made her boy ill. So the teacher +left.</p> + +<p>Just then, Haralal made his appearance with a dirty +dress and a torn pair of old canvas shoes. Haralal's +mother, who was a widow, had kept him with +great difficulty at a District school out of the scanty +earnings which she made by cooking in strange houses +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +and husking rice. He managed to pass the Matriculation +and determined to go to College. As a result +of his half-starved condition, his pinched face +tapered to a point in an unnatural manner,—like +Cape Comorin in the map of India; and the only +broad portion of it was his forehead, which resembled +the ranges of the Himalayas.</p> + +<p>The servant asked Haralal what he wanted, and +he answered timidly that he wished to see the master.</p> + +<p>The servant answered sharply: "You can't see +him." Haralal was hesitating, at a loss what to do +next, when Venugopal, who had finished his game in +the garden, suddenly came to the door. The servant +shouted at Haralal: "Get away." Quite unaccountably +Venugopal grew excited and cried: "No, +he shan't get away." And he dragged the stranger +to his father.</p> + +<p>Adharlal had just risen from his mid-day sleep +and was sitting quietly on the upper verandah in his +cane chair, rocking his legs. Ratikanta was enjoying +his hookah, seated in a chair next to him. He asked +Haralal how far he had got in his reading. The +young man bent his head and answered that he had +passed the Matriculation. Ratikanta looked stern +and expressed surprise that he should be so backward +for his age. Haralal kept silence. It was Ratikanta's +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +special pleasure to torture his patron's dependants, +whether actual or potential.</p> + +<p>Suddenly it struck Adharlal that he would be able +to employ this youth as a tutor for his son on next to +nothing. He agreed, there and then, to take him at +a <a id="t_salary"></a><a href="#idx_salary" class="indx">salary</a> of five rupees a month with board and lodging +free.</p> + +<h3>III</h3> + +<p>This time the post of tutor remained occupied +longer than before. From the very beginning of +their acquaintance Haralal and his pupil became +great friends. Never before did Haralal have such +an opportunity of loving any young human creature. +His mother had been so poor and dependent, that +he had never had the privilege of playing with the +children where she was employed at work. He had +not hitherto suspected the hidden stores of love +which lay all the while accumulating in his own +heart.</p> + +<p>Venu, also, was glad to find a companion in Haralal. +He was the only boy in the house. His two +younger sisters were looked down upon, as unworthy +of being his playmates. So his new tutor became +his only companion, patiently bearing the undivided +weight of the tyranny of his child friend. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> + +<h3>IV</h3> + +<p>Venu was now eleven. Haralal had passed his +Intermediate, winning a scholarship. He was working +hard for his <a id="t_BAdegree"></a><a href="#idx_BAdegree" class="indx">B.A. degree</a>. After College lectures +were over, he would take Venu out into the public +park and tell him stories about the heroes from +Greek History and Victor Hugo's <a id="t_romance"></a><a href="#idx_romance" class="indx">romances</a>. The +child used to get quite impatient to run to Haralal, +after school hours, in spite of his mother's attempts +to keep him by her side.</p> + +<p>This displeased Nanibala. She thought that it +was a deep-laid plot of Haralal's to captivate her +boy, in order to prolong his own appointment. One +day she talked to him from behind the purdah: "It +is your duty to teach my son only for an hour or two +in the morning and evening. But why are you always +with him? The child has nearly forgotten his +own parents. You must understand that a man of +your position is no fit companion for a boy belonging +to this house."</p> + +<p>Haralal's voice choked a little as he answered that +for the future he would merely be Venu's teacher and +would keep away from him at other times.</p> + +<p>It was Haralal's usual practice to begin his College +study early before dawn. The child would +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> +come to him directly after he had washed himself. +There was a small pool in the garden and they used +to feed the fish in it with puffed rice. Venu was also +engaged in building a miniature garden-house, at the +corner of the garden, with its <a id="t_liliputian"></a><a href="#idx_liliputian" class="indx">liliputian</a> gates and +hedges and gravel paths. When the sun became too +hot they would go back into the house, and Venu +would have his morning lesson from Haralal.</p> + +<p>On the day in question Venu had risen earlier +than usual, because he wished to hear the end of the +story which Haralal had begun the evening before. +But he found his teacher absent. When asked about +him, the door-servant said that he had gone out. At +lesson time Venu remained unnaturally quiet. He +never even asked Haralal why he had gone out, but +went on mechanically with his lessons. When the +child was with his mother taking his breakfast, she +asked him what had happened to make him so +gloomy, and why he was not eating his food. Venu +gave no answer. After his meal his mother caressed +him and questioned him repeatedly. Venu burst out +crying and said,—"Master Mashai." His mother +asked Venu,—"What about Master Mashai?" +But Venu found it difficult to name the offence which +his teacher had committed.</p> + +<p>His mother said to Venu: "Has your Master +Mashai been saying anything to you against <i>me</i>?" +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> + +<p>Venu could not understand the question and went +away.</p> + +<h3>V</h3> + +<p>There was a theft in Adhar Babu's house. The +<a id="t_police"></a><a href="#idx_police" class="indx">police</a> were called in to investigate. Even Haralal's +trunks were searched. Ratikanta said with +meaning: "The man who steals anything, does not +keep his thefts in his own box."</p> + +<p>Adharlal called his son's tutor and said to him: +"It will not be convenient for me to keep any of you +in my own house. From to-day you will have to +take up your quarters outside, only coming in to teach +my son at the proper time."</p> + +<p>Ratikanta said sagely, drawing at his hookah: +"That is a good proposal,—good for both parties."</p> + +<p>Haralal did not utter a word, but he sent a letter +saying that it would be no longer possible for him to +remain as tutor to Venu.</p> + +<p>When Venu came back from school, he found his +tutor's room empty. Even that broken steel trunk +of his was absent. The rope was stretched across +the corner, but there were no clothes or towel hanging +on it. Only on the table, which formerly was +strewn with books and papers, stood a bowl containing +some gold-fish with a label on which was +written the word "Venu" in Haralal's hand-writing. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +The boy ran up at once to his father and asked him +what had happened. His father told him that Haralal +had resigned his post. Venu went to his room +and flung himself down and began to cry. Adharlal +did not know what to do with him.</p> + +<p>The next day, when Haralal was sitting on his +wooden bedstead in the Hostel, debating with himself +whether he should attend his college lectures, +suddenly he saw Adhar Babu's servant coming into +his room followed by Venu. Venu at once ran up +to him and threw his arms round his neck asking him +to come back to the house.</p> + +<p>Haralal could not explain why it was absolutely +impossible for him to go back, but the memory of +those clinging arms and that <a id="t_pathetic"></a><a href="#idx_pathetic" class="indx">pathetic</a> request used to +choke his breath with emotion long after.</p> + +<h3>VI</h3> + +<p>Haralal found out, after this, that his mind was +in an unsettled state, and that he had but a small +chance of winning the scholarship, even if he could +pass the examination. At the same time, he knew +that, without the scholarship, he could not continue +his studies. So he tried to get employment in some +office.</p> + +<p>Fortunately for him, an English Manager of a big +merchant firm took a fancy to him at first sight. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +After only a brief exchange of words the Manager +asked him if he had any experience, and could he +bring any testimonial. Haralal could only answer +"No"; nevertheless a post was offered him of +twenty rupees a month and fifteen rupees were allowed +him in advance to help him to come properly +dressed to the office.</p> + +<p>The Manager made Haralal work extremely hard. +He had to stay on after office hours and sometimes +go to his master's house late in the evening. But, in +this way, he learnt his work quicker than others, and +his fellow clerks became jealous of him and tried to +injure him, but without effect. He rented a small +house in a narrow lane and brought his mother to +live with him as soon as his salary was raised to forty +rupees a month. Thus happiness came back to his +mother after weary years of waiting.</p> + +<p>Haralal's mother used to express a desire to see +Venugopal, of whom she had heard so much. She +wished to prepare some dishes with her own hand +and to ask him to come just once to dine with her son. +Haralal avoided the subject by saying that his house +was not big enough to invite him for that purpose.</p> + +<h3>VII</h3> + +<p>The news reached Haralal that Venu's mother had +died. He could not wait a moment, but went at once +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +to Adharlal's house to see Venu. After that they began +to see each other frequently.</p> + +<p>But times had changed. Venu, stroking his budding +moustache, had grown quite a young man of +fashion. Friends, befitting his present condition, +were numerous. That old <a id="t_dilapidated"></a><a href="#idx_dilapidated" class="indx">dilapidated</a> study chair +and ink-stained desk had vanished, and the room +now seemed to be bursting with pride at its new +acquisitions,—its looking-glasses, oleographs, and +other furniture. Venu had entered college, but +showed no haste in crossing the boundary of the <a id="t_intermediate"></a><a href="#idx_intermediate" class="indx">Intermediate</a> +examination.</p> + +<p>Haralal remembered his mother's request to invite +Venu to dinner. After great hesitation, he did so. +Venugopal, with his handsome face, at once won the +mother's heart. But as soon as ever the meal was +over he became impatient to go, and looking at his +gold watch he explained that he had pressing engagements +elsewhere. Then he jumped into his carriage, +which was waiting at the door, and drove away. +Haralal with a sigh said to himself that he would +never invite him again.</p> + +<h3>VIII</h3> + +<p>One day, on returning from office, Haralal noticed +the presence of a man in the dark room on the +ground floor of his house. Possibly he would have +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +passed him by, had not the heavy scent of some +foreign perfume attracted his attention. Haralal +asked who was there, and the answer came:</p> + +<p>"It is I, Master Mashai."</p> + +<p>"What is the matter, Venu?" said Haralal. +"When did you arrive?"</p> + +<p>"I came hours ago," said Venu. "I did not +know that you returned so late."</p> + +<p>They went upstairs together and Haralal lighted +the lamp and asked Venu whether all was well. +Venu replied that his college classes were becoming +a fearful bore, and his father did not realize how +dreadfully hard it was for him to go on in the same +class, year after year, with students much younger +than himself. Haralal asked him what he wished +to do. Venu then told him that he wanted to go to +England and become a <a id="t_barrister"></a><a href="#idx_barrister" class="indx">barrister</a>. He gave an instance +of a student, much less advanced than himself, +who was getting ready to go. Haralal asked him +if he had received his father's permission. Venu +replied that his father would not hear a word of it +until he had passed the Intermediate, and that was an +impossibility in his present frame of mind. Haralal +suggested that he himself should go and try to talk +over his father.</p> + +<p>"No," said Venu, "I can never allow that!"</p> + +<p>Haralal asked Venu to stay for dinner and while +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +they were waiting he gently placed his hand on +Venu's shoulder and said:</p> + +<p>"Venu, you should not quarrel with your father, +or leave home."</p> + +<p>Venu jumped up angrily and said that if he was +not welcome, he could go elsewhere. Haralal +caught him by the hand and implored him not to go +away without taking his food. But Venu snatched +away his hand and was just leaving the room when +Haralal's mother brought the food in on a tray. On +seeing Venu about to leave she pressed him to remain +and he did so with bad grace.</p> + +<p>While he was eating the sound of a carriage +stopping at the door was heard. First a servant +entered the room with creaking shoes and then +Adhar Babu himself. Venu's face became pale. +The mother left the room as soon as she saw strangers +enter. Adhar Babu called out to Haralal in a +voice thick with anger:</p> + +<p>"Ratikanta gave me full warning, but I could not +believe that you had such devilish cunning hidden in +you. So, you think you're going to live upon Venu? +This is sheer kidnapping, and I shall prosecute you +in the Police Court."</p> + +<p>Venu silently followed his father and went out of +the house. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> + +<h3>IX</h3> + +<p>The firm to which Haralal belonged began to buy +up large quantities of rice and dhal from the country +districts. To pay for this, Haralal had to take the +cash every Saturday morning by the early train and +disburse it. There were special centres where the +brokers and middlemen would come with their receipts +and accounts for settlement. Some discussion +had taken place in the office about Haralal being entrusted +with this work, without any security, but the +Manager undertook all the responsibility and said +that a security was not needed. This special work +used to go on from the middle of December to the +middle of April. Haralal would get back from it +very late at night.</p> + +<p>One day, after his return, he was told by his +mother that Venu had called and that she had persuaded +him to take his dinner at their house. This +happened more than once. The mother said that +it was because Venu missed his own mother, and +the tears came into her eyes as she spoke about it.</p> + +<p>One day Venu waited for Haralal to return and +had a long talk with him.</p> + +<p>"Master Mashai!" he said. "Father has become +so cantankerous of late that I cannot live with +him any longer. And, besides, I know that he is +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +getting ready to marry again. Ratikanta is seeking +a suitable match, and they are always conspiring +about it. There used to be a time when my father +would get anxious, if I were absent from home even +for a few hours. Now, if I am away for more than +a week, he takes no notice,—indeed he is greatly relieved. +If this marriage takes place, I feel that I +cannot live in the house any longer. You must show +me a way out of this. I want to become independent."</p> + +<p>Haralal felt deeply pained, but he did not know +how to help his former pupil. Venu said that he +was determined to go to England and become a barrister. +Somehow or other he must get the passage +money out of his father: he could borrow it on a +note of hand and his father would have to pay when +the creditors filed a suit. With this borrowed money +he would get away, and when he was in England his +father was certain to remit his expenses.</p> + +<p>"But who is there," Haralal asked, "who would +advance you the money?"</p> + +<p>"You!" said Venu.</p> + +<p>"I!" exclaimed Haralal in amazement.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Venu, "I've seen the servant bringing +heaps of money here in bags."</p> + +<p>"The servant and the money belong to someone +else." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> + +<p>Haralal explained why the money came to his +house at night, like birds to their nest, to be scattered +next morning.</p> + +<p>"But can't the Manager advance the sum?" Venu +asked.</p> + +<p>"He may do so," said Haralal, "if your father +stands security."</p> + +<p>The discussion ended at this point.</p> + +<h3>X</h3> + +<p>One Friday night a carriage and pair stopped +before Haralal's lodging house. When Venu was +announced Haralal was counting money in his bedroom, +seated on the floor. Venu entered the room +dressed in a strange manner. He had discarded his +Bengali dress and was wearing a Parsee coat and +trousers and had a cap on his head. Rings were +prominent on almost all the fingers of both hands, +and a thick gold chain was hanging round his neck: +there was a gold-watch in his pocket, and diamond +studs could be seen peeping from his shirt sleeves. +Haralal at once asked him what was the matter and +why he was wearing that dress.</p> + +<p>"My father's marriage," said Venu, "comes off +to-morrow. He tried hard to keep it from me, but +I found it out. I asked him to allow me to go to +our garden-house at Barrackpur for a few days, and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> +he was only too glad to get rid of me so easily. I +am going there, and I wish to God I had never to +come back."</p> + +<p>Haralal looked pointedly at the rings on his fingers. +Venu explained that they had belonged to his mother. +Haralal then asked him if he had already had his +dinner. He answered, "Yes, haven't you had +yours?"</p> + +<p>"No," said Haralal, "I cannot leave this room +until I have all the money safely locked up in this +iron chest."</p> + +<p>"Go and take your dinner," said Venu, "while I +keep guard here: your mother will be waiting for +you."</p> + +<p>For a moment Haralal hesitated, and then he went +out and had his dinner. In a short time he came +back with his mother and the three of them sat among +the bags of money talking together. When it was +about midnight, Venu took out his watch and looked +at it and jumped up saying that he would miss his +train. Then he asked Haralal to keep all his rings +and his watch and chain until he asked for them +again. Haralal put them all together in a leather +bag and laid it in the iron safe. Venu went out.</p> + +<p>The canvas bags containing the currency notes had +already been placed in the safe: only the loose coins +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +remained to be counted over and put away with the +rest.</p> + +<h3>XI</h3> + +<p>Haralal lay down on the floor of the same room, +with the key under his pillow, and went to sleep. He +dreamt that Venu's mother was loudly reproaching +him from behind the curtain. Her words were indistinct, +but rays of different colours from the jewels +on her body kept piercing the curtain like needles and +violently vibrating. Haralal struggled to call +Venu, but his voice seemed to forsake him. At last, +with a noise, the curtain fell down. Haralal started +up from his sleep and found darkness piled up round +about him. A sudden gust of wind had flung open +the window and put out the light. Haralal's whole +body was wet with perspiration. He relighted the +lamp and saw, by the clock, that it was four in the +morning. There was no time to sleep again; for he +had to get ready to start.</p> + +<p>After Haralal had washed his face and hands his +mother called from her own room,—"Baba, why +are you up so soon?"</p> + +<p>It was the habit of Haralal to see his mother's face +the first thing in the morning in order to bring a +blessing upon the day. His mother said to him: +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +"I was dreaming that you were going out to bring +back a bride for yourself." Haralal went to his +own bedroom and began to take out the bags containing +the silver and the currency notes.</p> + +<p>Suddenly his heart stopped beating. Three of the +bags appeared to be empty. He knocked them +against the iron safe, but this only proved his fear +to be true. He opened them and shook them with +all his might. Two letters from Venu dropped out +from one of the bags. One was addressed to his +father and one to Haralal.</p> + +<p>Haralal tore open his own letter and began reading. +The words seemed to run into one another. +He trimmed the lamp, but felt as if he could not +understand what he read. Yet the purport of the +letter was clear. Venu had taken three thousand +rupees, in currency notes, and had started for +England. The steamer was to sail before day-break +that very <ins class="corr" title="original had mornng">morning</ins>. The letter ended with the +words: "I am explaining everything in a letter to +my father. He will pay off the debt; and then, +again, my mother's ornaments, which I have left in +your care, will more than cover the amount I have +taken."</p> + +<p>Haralal locked up his room and hired a carriage +and went with all haste to the jetty. But he did not +know even the name of the steamer which Venu had +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +taken. He ran the whole length of the wharves +from Prinsep's Ghat to Metiaburuj. He found +that two steamers had started on their voyage to +England early that morning. It was impossible for +him to know which of them carried Venu, or how to +reach him.</p> + +<p>When Haralal got home, the sun was strong and +the whole of Calcutta was awake. Everything before +his eyes seemed blurred. He felt as if he were +pushing against a fearful <a id="t_obstacle"></a><a href="#idx_obstacle" class="indx">obstacle</a> which was bodiless +and without pity. His mother came on the +verandah to ask him anxiously where he had gone. +With a dry laugh he said to her,—"To bring home +a bride for myself," and then he fainted away.</p> + +<p>On opening his eyes after a while, Haralal asked +his mother to leave him. Entering his room he +shut the door from the inside while his mother remained +seated on the floor of the verandah in the +fierce glare of the sun. She kept calling to him fitfully, +almost mechanically,—"Baba, Baba!"</p> + +<p>The servant came from the Manager's office and +knocked at the door, saying that they would miss the +train if they did not start out at once. Haralal +called from inside, "It will not be possible for me +to start this morning."</p> + +<p>"Then where are we to go, Sir?"</p> + +<p>"I will tell you later on." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> + +<p>The servant went downstairs with a gesture of +impatience.</p> + +<p>Suddenly Haralal thought of the ornaments which +Venu had left behind. Up till now he had completely +forgotten about them, but with the thought +came instant relief. He took the leather bag containing +them, and also Venu's letter to his father, +and left the house.</p> + +<p>Before he reached Adharlal's house he could hear +the bands playing for the wedding, yet on entering +he could feel that there had been some disturbance. +Haralal was told that there had been a theft the +night before and one or two servants were suspected. +Adhar Babu was sitting in the upper verandah +flushed with anger and Ratikanta was smoking his +hookah. Haralal said to Adhar Babu, "I have +something private to tell you." Adharlal flared up, +"I have no time now!" He was afraid that +Haralal had come to borrow money or to ask his +help. Ratikanta suggested that if there was any +delicacy in making the request in his presence he +would leave the place. Adharlal told him angrily to +sit where he was. Then Haralal handed over the +bag which Venu had left behind. Adharlal asked +what was inside it and Haralal opened it and gave +the contents into his hands.</p> + +<p>Then Adhar Babu said with a sneer: "It's a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> +paying business that you two have started—you +and your former pupil! You were certain that the +stolen property would be traced, and so you come +along with it to me to claim a reward!"</p> + +<p>Haralal presented the letter which Venu had +written to his father. This only made Adharlal all +the more furious.</p> + +<p>"What's all this?" he shouted, "I'll call for the +police! My son has not yet come of age,—and +<i>you</i> have smuggled him out of the country! I'll bet +my soul you've lent him a few hundred rupees, and +then taken a note of hand for three thousand! But +I am not going to be bound by <i>this</i>!"</p> + +<p>"I never advanced him any money at all," said +Haralal.</p> + +<p>"Then how did he find it?" said Adharlal, "Do +you mean to tell me he broke open your safe and +stole it?"</p> + +<p>Haralal stood silent.</p> + +<p>Ratikanta sarcastically remarked: "I don't +believe this fellow ever set hands on as much as three +thousand rupees in his life."</p> + +<p>When Haralal left the house he seemed to have +lost the power of dreading anything, or even of being +anxious. His mind seemed to refuse to work. +Directly he entered the lane he saw a carriage waiting +before his own lodging. For a moment he felt +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +certain that it was Venu's. It was impossible to +believe that his calamity could be so hopelessly final.</p> + +<p>Haralal went up quickly, but found an English +assistant from the firm sitting inside the carriage. +The man came out when he saw Haralal and took +him by the hand and asked him: "Why didn't you +go out by train this morning?" The servant had +told the Manager his suspicions and he had sent this +man to find out.</p> + +<p>Haralal answered: "Notes to the amount of +three thousand rupees are missing."</p> + +<p>The man asked how that could have happened.</p> + +<p>Haralal remained silent.</p> + +<p>The man said to Haralal: "Let us go upstairs +together and see where you keep your money." +They went up to the room and counted the money +and made a thorough search of the house.</p> + +<p>When the mother saw this she could not contain +herself any longer. She came out before the +stranger and said: "Baba, what has happened?" +He answered in broken Hindustani that some money +had been stolen.</p> + +<p>"Stolen!" the mother cried, "Why! How +could it be stolen? Who could do such a <a id="t_dastardly"></a><a href="#idx_dastardly" class="indx">dastardly</a> +thing?" Haralal said to her: "Mother, don't +say a word."</p> + +<p>The man collected the remainder of the money and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> +told Haralal to come with him to the Manager. +The mother barred the way and said:</p> + +<p>"Sir, where are you taking my son? I have +brought him up, starving and straining to do honest +work. My son would never touch money belonging +to others."</p> + +<p>The Englishman, not knowing Bengali, said, +"Achcha! Achcha!" Haralal told his mother +not to be anxious; he would explain it all to the +Manager and soon be back again. The mother entreated +him, with a distressed voice,</p> + +<p>"Baba, you haven't taken a morsel of food all +morning." Haralal stepped into the carriage and +drove away, and the mother sank to the ground in the +anguish of her heart.</p> + +<p>The Manager said to Haralal: "Tell me the +truth. What did happen?"</p> + +<p>Haralal said to him, "I haven't taken any +money."</p> + +<p>"I fully believe it," said the Manager, "but surely +you know who has taken it."</p> + +<p>Haralal looked on the ground and remained silent.</p> + +<p>"Somebody," said the Manager, "must have +taken it away with your connivance."</p> + +<p>"Nobody," replied Haralal, "could take it away +with my knowledge without taking first my life."</p> + +<p>"Look here, Haralal," said the Manager, "I +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +trusted you completely. I took no security. I employed +you in a post of great responsibility. Every +one in the office was against me for doing so. The +three thousand rupees is a small matter, but the +shame of all this to me is a great matter. I will +do one thing. I will give you the whole day to +bring back this money. If you do so, I shall say +nothing about it and I will keep you on in your post."</p> + +<p>It was now eleven o'clock. Haralal with bent +head went out of the office. The clerks began to discuss +the affair with exultation.</p> + +<p>"What can I <i>do</i>? What can I <i>do</i>?" Haralal +repeated to himself, as he walked along like one +dazed, the sun's heat pouring down upon him. At +last his mind ceased to think at all about what could +be done, but the mechanical walk went on without +ceasing.</p> + +<p>This city of Calcutta, which offered its shelter to +thousands and thousands of men had become like a +steel trap. He could see no way out. The whole +body of people were conspiring to surround and hold +him captive—this most insignificant of men, whom +no one knew. Nobody had any special grudge +against him, yet everybody was his enemy. The +crowd passed by, brushing against him: the clerks +of the offices were eating their lunch on the road +side from their plates made of leaves: a tired wayfarer +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +on the Maidan, under the shade of a tree, +was lying with one hand beneath his head and one +leg upraised over the other: The up-country +women, crowded into hackney carriages, were wending +their way to the temple: a chuprassie came up +with a letter and asked him the address on the +envelope,—so the afternoon went by.</p> + +<p>Then came the time when the offices were all about +to close. Carriages started off in all directions, +carrying people back to their homes. The clerks, +packed tightly on the seats of the trams, looked at +the theatre advertisements as they returned to their +lodgings. From to-day, Haralal had neither his +work in the office, nor release from work in the +evening. He had no need to hurry to catch the tram +to take him to his home. All the busy occupations of +the city—the buildings—the horses and carriages—the +incessant traffic—seemed, now at one time, +to swell into dreadful <a id="t_reality"></a><a href="#idx_reality" class="indx">reality</a>, and at another time, +to subside into the shadowy unreal.</p> + +<p>Haralal had taken neither food, nor rest, nor +shelter all that day.</p> + +<p>The street lamps were lighted from one road to +another and it seemed to him that a watchful darkness, +like some demon, was keeping its eyes wide +open to guard every movement of its victim. +Haralal did not even have the energy to enquire +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +how late it was. The veins on his forehead +throbbed, and he felt as if his head would burst. +Through the paroxysms of pain, which <a id="t_alternated"></a><a href="#idx_alternated" class="indx">alternated</a> +with the apathy of dejection, only one thought came +again and again to his mind; among the innumerable +multitudes in that vast city, only one name found +its way through his dry throat,—"Mother!"</p> + +<p>He said to himself, "At the deep of night, when +no one is awake to capture me—me, who am the +least of all men,—I will silently creep to my +mother's arms and fall asleep, and may I never wake +again!"</p> + +<p>Haralal's one trouble was lest some police officer +should molest him in the presence of his mother, and +this kept him back from going home. When it became +impossible for him at last to bear the weight +of his own body, he hailed a carriage. The driver +asked him where he wanted to go. He said: +"Nowhere, I want to drive across the Maidan to +get the fresh air." The man at first did not believe +him and was about to drive on, when Haralal put a +rupee into his hand as an advance payment. Thereupon +the driver crossed, and then re-crossed, the +Maidan from one side to the other, traversing the +different roads.</p> + +<p>Haralal laid his throbbing head on the side of the +open window of the carriage and closed his eyes. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +Slowly all the pain abated. His body became cool. +A deep and intense peace filled his heart and a +supreme deliverance seemed to embrace him on +every side. It was <i>not</i> true,—the day's despair +which threatened him with its grip of utter helplessness. +It was <i>not</i> true, it was false. He knew now +that it was only an empty fear of the mind. Deliverance +was in the infinite sky and there was no end +to peace. No king or emperor in the world had the +power to keep captive this nonentity, this Haralal. +In the sky, surrounding his emancipated heart on +every side, he felt the presence of his mother, that +one poor woman. She seemed to grow and grow +till she filled the <a id="t_infinity"></a><a href="#idx_infinity" class="indx">infinity</a> of darkness. All the roads +and buildings and shops of Calcutta gradually became +enveloped by her. In her presence vanished +all the aching pains and thoughts and consciousness +of Haralal. It burst,—that bubble filled with the +hot vapour of pain. And now there was neither +darkness nor light, but only one tense fulness.</p> + +<p>The Cathedral clock struck one. The driver +called out impatiently: "Babu, my horse can't go +on any longer. Where do you want to go?"</p> + +<p>There came no answer.</p> + +<p>The driver came down and shook Haralal and +asked him again where he wanted to go.</p> + +<p>There came no answer. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> + +<p>And the answer was never received from Haralal, +where he wanted to go.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_broker"></a><a href="#t_broker" class="indx">broker</a>.</b> This word meant originally a "broacher," one +who broached or made a hole in casks of wine to test +their value for sale. Then it came to mean a middleman +in a sale.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_attorney"></a><a href="#t_attorney" class="indx">attorney</a>.</b> This word comes from the Old French +"tourner" meaning to turn. The original sense of +the word is "one who turns or transfers (property)," +and thus it comes to mean one who is appointed to do +legal business in the name of another. Compare the +phrase "<i>power of attorney</i>."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_mortgage"></a><a href="#t_mortgage" class="indx">mortgage</a>.</b> This comes from the two words "mort-" +meaning "death" and "gage" meaning "pledge,"—a +death pledge. It is used for the transfer of property +as a pledge or guarantee that the debt will be paid. +Compare <i>mortuary</i>, <i>mortal</i>, <i>mortify</i>, <i>mortmain</i>; also +compare <i>engage</i>, <i>disengage</i>, <i>wage</i>, <i>wager</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_repulsed"></a><a href="#t_repulsed" class="indx">repulsed</a>.</b> From the Latin "puls-" meaning "to drive." +This Latin root has another form "pel," also meaning +"to drive." We have thus two series of words:—<br /> +<span class="types"><i>repel</i>, <i>impel</i>, <i>compel</i>, <i>expel</i>, <i>dispel</i>, and</span><br /> +<span class="types"><i>repulse</i>, <i>impulse</i> (noun), <i>compulsion</i>, <i>expulsion</i>.</span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_amiability"></a><a href="#t_amiability" class="indx">amiability</a>.</b> This word comes from the Latin "amicus" +friend and is the same in origin as "amicability." +Compare <i>amicable</i> and <i>amiable</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_salary"></a><a href="#t_salary" class="indx">salary</a>.</b> This originally meant "<i>salt</i>-money" from the +Latin "sal" meaning "salt." First, it meant the +"salt-money" given to soldiers, then it meant a fixed +pay. Compare the use of <i>namak</i> in India,—<i>namak +khānā</i>,—which is somewhat similar.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_liliputian"></a><a href="#t_liliputian" class="indx">liliputian</a>.</b> This word has come into the English language +from a famous story book called "Gulliver's Travels." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +"Liliput" was a place where tiny people lived and +"Brobdingnag" was a place where giants lived. +These two words are therefore sometimes used, in an +amusing manner, to represent respectively the land of +dwarfs and the land of giants.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_BAdegree"></a><a href="#t_BAdegree" class="indx">B.A. degree</a>.</b> These titles were originally used in the old +medieval universities of Europe. The word "bachelor" +was taken from its use in chivalry, where it meant a +young knight not yet fully qualified or equipped. Then +came the "Master," or fully qualified person. A secondary +meaning of bachelor, which is now the most +common, is "an unmarried person,"—a man not being +considered fully qualified or equipped till he is married.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_romance"></a><a href="#t_romance" class="indx">romance</a>.</b> This word has a very interesting history. The +Latin language was the literary language of the South +of Europe for many centuries and the vernacular languages +were despised. The word for "vernacular" +was "romanicus" as contrasted with "Latinus," i.e. +Latin. The old folk stories of the Middle Ages were +written in the vernacular or "romance" languages, +and as these stories were strange and mysterious, the +word romance became used for this kind of literature.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_pathetic"></a><a href="#t_pathetic" class="indx">pathetic</a>.</b> From the Greek word "pathos" meaning "suffering." +Compare <i>pathos</i>, <i>sympathy</i>, <i>pathology</i>, <i>electropathy</i>, +<i>allopathy</i>, <i>homœopathy</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_dilapidated"></a><a href="#t_dilapidated" class="indx">dilapidated</a>.</b> From the Latin "lapis" meaning a "stone." +It probably means to separate stone from stone. Compare +<i>lapidary</i>, <i>dilapidation</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_intermediate"></a><a href="#t_intermediate" class="indx">intermediate</a>.</b> From the Latin "medius" meaning "middle." +Compare <i>mediate</i>, <i>immediate</i>, <i>medium</i>, <i>mediocrity</i>, +<i>mediator.</i></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_police"></a><a href="#t_police" class="indx">police</a>.</b> From the Greek "polis" meaning a "city." Compare +<i>politics</i>, <i>policy</i>, <i>metropolis</i>, <i>politician</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_barrister"></a><a href="#t_barrister" class="indx">barrister</a>.</b> From the word "bar." There was a bar in +the law court, from which the lawyer pleaded his case. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +So the pleader was called a <i>bar</i>-ister. Compare the +phrase <i>"called to the Bar."</i></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_obstacle"></a><a href="#t_obstacle" class="indx">obstacle</a>.</b> From the Latin root "sta-" meaning to stand. +Compare <i>obstinate</i>, <i>station</i>, <i>status</i>, <i>statute</i>, <i>instant</i>, <i>distance</i>, +<i>constant</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_dastardly"></a><a href="#t_dastardly" class="indx">dastardly</a>.</b> A word of doubtful origin,—probably akin to +the word "dazed."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_reality"></a><a href="#t_reality" class="indx">reality</a>.</b> From the Latin word "res" meaning a "thing." +Compare <i>real</i>, <i>unreal</i>, <i>realize</i>, <i>republic</i>, <i>really</i>, <i>realization</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_alternated"></a><a href="#t_alternated" class="indx">alternated</a>.</b> From the Latin "alter" meaning "other." +Compare <i>alteration</i>, <i>alternative</i>, <i>alter</i>, <i>altercate</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_infinity"></a><a href="#t_infinity" class="indx">infinity</a>.</b> From the Latin "finis" meaning "end." Compare +<i>finish</i>, <i>finite</i>, <i>definite</i>, <i>confine</i>.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p class="prechap">SUBHA</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="VI"></a>VI<br /> +<br /> +SUBHA</h2> + +<p><span class="smcap">When</span> the girl was given the name of Subhashini, +who could have guessed that she would prove dumb? +Her two elder sisters were Sukeshini and Suhasini, +and for the sake of <a id="t_uniformity"></a><a href="#idx_uniformity" class="indx">uniformity</a> her father named +his youngest girl Subhashini. She was called Subha +for short.</p> + +<p>Her two elder sisters had been married with the +usual cost and difficulty, and now the youngest +daughter lay like a silent weight upon the heart of +her parents. All the world seemed to think that, +because she did not speak, therefore she did not feel; +it discussed her future and its own anxiety freely +in her presence. She had understood from her +earliest childhood that God had sent her like a curse +to her father's house, so she withdrew herself from +ordinary people and tried to live apart. If only +they would all forget her she felt she could endure +it. But who can forget pain? Night and day her +parents' minds were aching on her account. Especially +her mother looked upon her as a deformity +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +in herself. To a mother a daughter is a more +closely intimate part of herself than a son can be; +and a fault in her is a source of personal shame. +Banikantha, Subha's father, loved her rather better +than his other daughters; her mother regarded her +with aversion as a stain upon her own body.</p> + +<p>If Subha lacked speech, she did not lack a pair of +large dark eyes, shaded with long lashes; and her lips +trembled like a leaf in response to any thought that +rose in her mind.</p> + +<p>When we express our thought in words, the +medium is not found easily. There must be a +process of <a id="t_translation"></a><a href="#idx_translation" class="indx">translation</a>, which is often inexact, and +then we fall into error. But black eyes need no +translating; the mind itself throws a shadow upon +them. In them thought opens or shuts, shines forth +or goes out in darkness, hangs steadfast like the +setting moon or like the swift and restless lightning +illumines all quarters of the sky. They who from +birth have had no other speech than the trembling +of their lips learn a language of the eyes, endless in +expression, deep as the sea, clear as the heavens, +wherein play dawn and sunset, light and shadow. +The dumb have a lonely grandeur like Nature's own. +Wherefore the other children almost dreaded Subha +and never played with her. She was silent and companionless +as noontide. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p> + +<p>The hamlet where she lived was Chandipur. Its +river, small for a river of Bengal, kept to its narrow +bounds like a daughter of the middle class. This +busy streak of water never overflowed its banks, but +went about its duties as though it were a member of +every family in the villages beside it. On either side +were houses and banks shaded with trees. So +stepping from her queenly throne, the river-goddess +became a garden deity of each home, and forgetful +of herself performed her task of endless benediction +with swift and cheerful foot.</p> + +<p>Banikantha's house looked out upon the stream. +Every hut and stack in the place could be seen by +the passing boatmen. I know not if amid these +signs of worldly wealth any one noticed the little +girl who, when her work was done, stole away to +the waterside and sat there. But here Nature fulfilled +her want of speech and spoke for her. The +murmur of the brook, the voice of the village folk, +the songs of the boatmen, the crying of the birds +and rustle of trees mingled and were one with the +trembling of her heart. They became one vast +wave of sound which beat upon her restless soul. +This murmur and movement of Nature were the +dumb girl's language; that speech of the dark eyes, +which the long lashes shaded, was the language of +the world about her. From the trees, where the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +cicalas chirped, to the quiet stars there was nothing +but signs and gestures, weeping and sighing. And in +the deep mid-noon, when the boatmen and fisher-folk +had gone to their dinner, when the villagers +slept and birds were still, when the ferry-boats were +idle, when the great busy world paused in its toil +and became suddenly a lonely, awful giant, then +beneath the vast impressive heavens there were only +dumb Nature and a dumb girl, sitting very silent,—one +under the spreading sunlight, the other where +a small tree cast its shadow.</p> + +<p>But Subha was not altogether without friends. +In the stall were two cows, Sarbbashi and Panguli. +They had never heard their names from her lips, +but they knew her footfall. Though she had no +words, she murmured lovingly and they understood +her gentle murmuring better than all speech. When +she fondled them or scolded or coaxed them, they +understood her better than men could do. Subha +would come to the shed and throw her arms round +Sarbbashi's neck; she would rub her cheek against +her friend's, and Panguli would turn her great kind +eyes and lick her face. The girl paid them three +regular visits every day and others that were irregular. +Whenever she heard any words that hurt +her, she would come to these dumb friends out of +due time. It was as though they guessed her anguish +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> +of spirit from her quiet look of sadness. Coming +close to her, they would rub their horns softly against +her arms, and in dumb, <a id="t_puzzled"></a><a href="#idx_puzzled" class="indx">puzzled</a> fashion try to comfort +her. Besides these two, there were goats and +a kitten; but Subha had not the same equality of +friendship with them, though they showed the same +attachment. Every time it got a chance, night or +day, the kitten would jump into her lap, and settle +down to slumber, and show its appreciation of an +aid to sleep as Subha drew her soft fingers over its +neck and back.</p> + +<p>Subha had a comrade also among the higher +animals, and it is hard to say what were the girl's +relations with him; for he could speak, and his gift +of speech left them without any common language. +He was the youngest boy of the Gosains, Pratap by +name, an idle fellow. After long effort, his parents +had abandoned the hope that he would ever make his +living. Now <a id="t_losels"></a><a href="#idx_losels" class="indx">losels</a> have this advantage, that, +though their own folk disapprove of them, they are +generally popular with every one else. Having no +work to chain them, they become public property. +Just as every town needs an open space where all +may breathe, so a village needs two or three gentlemen +of leisure, who can give time to all; then, if we +are lazy and want a companion, one is to hand.</p> + +<p>Pratap's chief ambition was to catch fish. He +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +managed to waste a lot of time this way, and might +be seen almost any afternoon so employed. It was +thus most often that he met Subha. Whatever he +was about, he liked a companion; and, when one +is catching fish, a silent companion is best of all. +Pratap respected Subha for her <a id="t_taciturnity"></a><a href="#idx_taciturnity" class="indx">taciturnity</a>, and, as +every one called her Subha, he showed his affection +by calling her Su. Subha used to sit beneath a +tamarind, and Pratap, a little distance off, would +cast his line. Pratap took with him a small allowance +of betel, and Subha prepared it for him. And +I think that, sitting and gazing a long while, she +desired ardently to bring some great help to Pratap, +to be of real aid, to prove by any means that she +was not a useless burden to the world. But there +was nothing to do. Then she turned to the Creator +in prayer for some rare power, that by an astonishing +miracle she might startle Pratap into exclaiming: +"<a id="t_My"></a><a href="#idx_My" class="indx">My!</a> I never dreamt our Su could have done +this!"</p> + +<p>Only think, if Subha had been a water nymph, she +might have risen slowly from the river, bringing +the gem of a snake's crown to the landing-place. +Then Pratap, leaving his paltry fishing, might dive +into the lower world, and see there, on a golden bed +in a palace of silver, whom else but dumb little +Su, Banikantha's child? Yes, our Su, the only +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> +daughter of the king of that shining city of jewels! +But that might not be, it was impossible. Not that +anything is really impossible, but Su had been born, +not into the royal house of Patalpur, but into +Banikantha's family, and she knew no means of +astonishing the Gosains' boy.</p> + +<p>Gradually she grew up. Gradually she began to +find herself. A new inexpressible consciousness like +a tide from the central places of the sea, when the +moon is full, swept through her. She saw herself, +questioned herself, but no answer came that she could +understand.</p> + +<p>Once upon a time, late on a night of full moon, +she slowly opened her door and peeped out timidly. +Nature, herself at full moon, like lonely Subha, was +looking down on the sleeping earth. Her strong +young life beat within her; joy and sadness filled her +being to its brim; she reached the limits even of her +own illimitable loneliness, nay, passed beyond them. +Her heart was heavy, and she could not speak. At +the skirts of this silent troubled Mother there stood +a silent troubled girl.</p> + +<p>The thought of her marriage filled her parents +with an anxious care. People blamed them, and +even talked of making them outcasts. Banikantha +was well off; they had fish-curry twice daily; and +consequently he did not lack enemies. Then the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +women interfered, and Bani went away for a few +days. Presently he returned and said: "We must +go to Calcutta."</p> + +<p>They got ready to go to this strange country. +Subha's heart was heavy with tears, like a mist-wrapt +dawn. With a vague fear that had been +gathering for days, she <a id="t_dogged"></a><a href="#idx_dogged" class="indx">dogged</a> her father and +mother like a dumb animal. With her large eyes +wide open, she scanned their faces as though she +wished to learn something. But not a word did +they vouchsafe. One afternoon in the midst of all +this, as Pratap was fishing, he laughed: "So then, +Su, they have caught your bridegroom, and you are +going to be married! Mind you don't forget me +altogether!" Then he turned his mind again to his +fish. As a stricken doe looks in the hunter's face, +asking in silent agony: "What have I done to +you?" so Subha looked at Pratap. That day she +sat no longer beneath her tree. Banikantha, having +finished his nap, was smoking in his bedroom when +Subha dropped down at his feet and burst out weeping +as she gazed towards him. Banikantha tried to +comfort her, and his cheek grew wet with tears.</p> + +<p>It was settled that on the morrow they should go +to Calcutta. Subha went to the cow-shed to bid farewell +to her childhood's comrades. She fed them +with her hand; she clasped their necks; she looked +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> +into their faces, and tears fell fast from the eyes +which spoke for her. That night was the tenth of +the moon. Subha left her room, and flung herself +down on her grassy couch beside her dear river. +It was as if she threw her arms about Earth, her +strong silent mother, and tried to say: "Do not let +me leave you, mother. Put your arms about me, as +I have put mine about you, and hold me fast."</p> + +<p>One day in a house in Calcutta, Subha's mother +dressed her up with great care. She imprisoned +her hair, knotting it up in laces, she hung her about +with ornaments, and did her best to kill her natural +beauty. Subha's eyes filled with tears. Her +mother, fearing they would grow swollen with weeping, +scolded her harshly, but the tears <a id="t_disregarded"></a><a href="#idx_disregarded" class="indx">disregarded</a> +the scolding. The bridegroom came with a friend +to inspect the bride. Her parents were <a id="t_dizzy"></a><a href="#idx_dizzy" class="indx">dizzy</a> with +anxiety and fear when they saw the god arrive to +select the beast for his sacrifice. Behind the stage, +the mother called her instructions aloud, and increased +her daughter's weeping twofold, before she +sent her into the examiner's presence. The great +man, after scanning her a long time, observed: +"Not so bad."</p> + +<p>He took special note of her tears, and thought +she must have a tender heart. He put it to her +credit in the account, arguing that the heart, which +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> +to-day was distressed at leaving her parents, would +presently prove a useful possession. Like the +oyster's pearls, the child's tears only increased her +value, and he made no other comment.</p> + +<p>The almanac was consulted, and the marriage took +place on an auspicious day. Having delivered over +their dumb girl into another's hands, Subha's parents +returned home. Thank God! Their caste in this +and their safety in the next world were assured! +The bridegroom's work lay in the west, and shortly +after the marriage he took his wife thither.</p> + +<p>In less than ten days every one knew that the +bride was dumb! At least, if any one did not, it +was not her fault, for she <a id="t_deceived"></a><a href="#idx_deceived" class="indx">deceived</a> no one. Her +eyes told them everything, though no one understood +her. She looked on every hand, she found +no speech, she missed the faces, familiar from birth, +of those who had understood a dumb girl's language. +In her silent heart there sounded an endless, voiceless +weeping, which only the Searcher of Hearts +could hear.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_uniformity"></a><a href="#t_uniformity" class="indx">uniformity</a>.</b> From the Latin "unus," meaning "one" and +"forma" meaning "form." Compare <i>universe</i>, <i>unison</i>, +<i>unite</i>, <i>formalism</i>, <i>formation</i>, <i>reform</i>, <i>deformed</i>, +<i>deformity</i> (the last word occurs in the next paragraph +of the story).</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_translation"></a><a href="#t_translation" class="indx">translation</a>.</b> The Latin word meaning "to bring" has +two roots, viz. "fer" and "lat." This word is taken +from the second root. We have the two parallel series +of words in English:<br /> +<span class="types">transfer, refer, confer, differ, etc.</span><br /> +<span class="types">translate, relate, collate, dilate, etc.</span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_puzzled"></a><a href="#t_puzzled" class="indx">puzzled</a>.</b> This is one of the few words in the English language +whose origin is doubtful. It probably comes +from the word to "pose" (which itself is a shortened +form of "oppose") meaning to set forward a difficult +problem.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_losels"></a><a href="#t_losels" class="indx">losels</a>.</b> An uncommon English word meaning a person +who is good for nothing. The word is derived from +the verb to "lose."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_taciturnity"></a><a href="#t_taciturnity" class="indx">taciturnity</a>.</b> The Latin word "tacitus," means "quiet" +or "silent." Compare <i>tacit</i>, <i>tacitly</i>, <i>reticence</i>, <i>reticent</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_My"></a><a href="#t_My" class="indx">My!</a></b> This is used by common people in England. It is +probably the short form of "My eye!"</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_dogged"></a><a href="#t_dogged" class="indx">dogged</a>.</b> The word in this sense means to follow like a +dog; to follow closely. From this we have the adjective +"dogged" pronounced as two syllables dog-géd, +meaning persevering, persistent, never giving in, e.g. +doggéd courage.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_disregarded"></a><a href="#t_disregarded" class="indx">disregarded</a>.</b> From the French "garder" or "guarder," +meaning "to keep." This French word appears in +many English forms. Compare <i>reward</i>, <i>guard</i>, <i>guerdon</i>, +<i>guardian</i>, <i>ward</i>, <i>warder</i>, <i>regard</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_dizzy"></a><a href="#t_dizzy" class="indx">dizzy</a>.</b> This word comes from an old Saxon root, which has +left many words in modern English. Compare <i>daze</i>, +<i>dazed</i>, <i>dazzle</i>, <i>doze</i>, <i>drowse</i>, <i>drowsy</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_deceived"></a><a href="#t_deceived" class="indx">deceived</a>.</b> From the Latin word "capere," meaning to take. +The English verbs such as "receive," "conceive," +"perceive" have come into English from the French. +The Latin root is more clearly seen in the nouns such +as "deception," "reception," "perception," etc. It +should be carefully noticed that these "French" forms +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> +are spelt <i>eive</i> instead of <i>ieve</i>. A simple rule is this, +that after <i>c</i> write <i>ei</i> not <i>ie</i>, but after other consonants +write <i>ie</i>. Compare the spelling of <i>believe</i>, <i>grieve</i>, <i>relieve</i> +with that of <i>receive</i>, <i>deceive</i>.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p class="prechap">THE POSTMASTER</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="VII"></a>VII<br /> +<br /> +THE POSTMASTER</h2> + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> postmaster first took up his duties in the village +of Ulapur. Though the village was a small one, +there was an <a id="t_indigo"></a><a href="#idx_indigo" class="indx">indigo</a> factory near by, and the +proprietor, an Englishman, had managed to get a +post office established.</p> + +<p>Our postmaster belonged to Calcutta. He felt +like a fish out of water in this remote village. His +office and living-room were in a dark thatched shed, +not far from a green, slimy pond, surrounded on all +sides by a dense growth.</p> + +<p>The men employed in the indigo factory had no +leisure; moreover, they were hardly desirable companions +for decent folk. Nor is a Calcutta boy +an adept in the art of associating with others. +Among strangers he appears either proud or ill at +ease. At any rate, the postmaster had but little +company; nor had he much to do.</p> + +<p>At times he tried his hand at writing a verse or +two. That the movement of the leaves and the +clouds of the sky were enough to fill life with joy—such +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> +were the sentiments to which he sought to +give expression. But God knows that the poor +fellow would have felt it as the gift of a new life, +if some <a id="t_genie"></a><a href="#idx_genie" class="indx">genie</a> of the <i>Arabian Nights</i> had in one +night swept away the trees, leaves and all, and replaced +them with a <a id="t_macadamised"></a><a href="#idx_macadamised" class="indx">macadamised</a> road, hiding the +clouds from view with rows of tall houses.</p> + +<p>The postmaster's salary was small. He had to +cook his own meals, which he used to share with +Ratan, an orphan girl of the village, who did odd +jobs for him.</p> + +<p>When in the evening the smoke began to curl up +from the village cowsheds, and the cicalas chirped +in every bush; when the mendicants of the Baül +sect sang their shrill songs in their daily meeting-place, +when any poet, who had attempted to watch +the movement of the leaves in the dense bamboo +thickets, would have felt a ghostly shiver run down +his back, the postmaster would light his little lamp, +and call out "Ratan."</p> + +<p>Ratan would sit outside waiting for this call, and, +instead of coming in at once, would reply, "Did +you call me, sir?"</p> + +<p>"What are you doing?" the postmaster would +ask.</p> + +<p>"I must be going to light the kitchen fire," would +be the answer. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span></p> + +<p>And the postmaster would say: "Oh, let the +kitchen fire be for awhile; light me my pipe first."</p> + +<p>At last Ratan would enter, with puffed-out cheeks, +vigorously blowing into a flame a live coal to light +the tobacco. This would give the postmaster an +opportunity of conversing. "Well, Ratan," perhaps +he would begin, "do you remember anything +of your mother?" That was a fertile subject. +Ratan partly remembered, and partly didn't. Her +father had been fonder of her than her mother; +him she recollected more vividly. He used to come +home in the evening after his work, and one or two +evenings stood out more clearly than others, like +pictures in her memory. Ratan would sit on the +floor near the postmaster's feet, as memories +crowded in upon her. She called to mind a little +brother that she had—and how on some bygone +cloudy day she had played at fishing with him on the +edge of the pond, with a twig for a make-believe +fishing-rod. Such little incidents would drive out +greater events from her mind. Thus, as they talked, +it would often get very late, and the postmaster +would feel too lazy to do any cooking at all. Ratan +would then hastily light the fire, and toast some unleavened +bread, which, with the cold remnants of the +morning meal, was enough for their supper.</p> + +<p>On some evenings, seated at his desk in the corner +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> +of the big empty shed, the postmaster too would call +up memories of his own home, of his mother and +his sister, of those for whom in his exile his heart +was sad,—memories which were always haunting +him, but which he could not talk about with the men +of the factory, though he found himself naturally +recalling them aloud in the presence of the simple +little girl. And so it came about that the girl would +<a id="t_allude"></a><a href="#idx_allude" class="indx">allude</a> to his people as mother, brother, and sister, +as if she had known them all her life. In fact, she +had a complete picture of each one of them painted +in her little heart.</p> + +<p>One noon, during a break in the rains, there was +a cool soft breeze blowing; the smell of the damp +grass and leaves in the hot sun felt like the warm +breathing of the tired earth on one's body. A persistent +bird went on all the afternoon repeating the +burden of its one complaint in Nature's audience +chamber.</p> + +<p>The postmaster had nothing to do. The shimmer +of the freshly washed leaves, and the banked-up +remnants of the retreating rain-clouds were sights to +see; and the postmaster was watching them and +thinking to himself: "Oh, if only some kindred soul +were near—just one loving human being whom I +could hold near my heart!" This was exactly, he +went on to think, what that bird was trying to say, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +and it was the same feeling which the murmuring +leaves were striving to express. But no one knows, +or would believe, that such an idea might also take +possession of an ill-paid village postmaster in the +deep, silent mid-day interval of his work.</p> + +<p>The postmaster sighed, and called out "Ratan." +Ratan was then sprawling beneath the <a id="t_guava"></a><a href="#idx_guava" class="indx">guava</a>-tree, +busily engaged in eating unripe guavas. At the voice +of her master, she ran up breathlessly, saying: +"Were you calling me, Dada?" "I was thinking," +said the postmaster, "of <ins class="corr" title="original had teachnig">teaching</ins> you to read." +And then for the rest of the afternoon he taught her +the <a id="t_alphabet"></a><a href="#idx_alphabet" class="indx">alphabet</a>.</p> + +<p>Thus, in a very short time, Ratan had got as far +as the double <a id="t_consonants"></a><a href="#idx_consonants" class="indx">consonants</a>.</p> + +<p>It seemed as though the showers of the season +would never end. <a id="t_canal"></a><a href="#idx_canal" class="indx">Canals</a>, ditches, and hollows were +all overflowing with water. Day and night the +patter of rain was heard, and the croaking of frogs. +The village roads became impassable, and marketing +had to be done in punts.</p> + +<p>One heavily clouded morning, the postmaster's +little pupil had been long waiting outside the door +for her call, but, not hearing it as usual, she took +up her dog-eared book, and slowly entered the room. +She found her master stretched out on his bed, and, +thinking that he was resting, she was about to retire +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> +on tip-toe, when she suddenly heard her name—"Ratan!" +She turned at once and asked: +"Were you sleeping, Dada?" The postmaster in +a plaintive voice said: "I am not well. Feel my +head; is it very hot?"</p> + +<p>In the loneliness of his exile, and in the gloom +of the rains, his ailing body needed a little tender +nursing. He longed to remember the touch on the +forehead of soft hands with tinkling bracelets, to +imagine the presence of loving womanhood, the nearness +of mother and sister. And the exile was not +disappointed. Ratan ceased to be a little girl. She +at once stepped into the post of mother, called in +the village doctor, gave the patient his pills at the +proper intervals, sat up all night by his pillow, cooked +his gruel for him, and every now and then asked: +"Are you feeling a little better, Dada?"</p> + +<p>It was some time before the postmaster, with +weakened body, was able to leave his sick-bed. +"No more of this," said he with decision. "I must +get a transfer." He at once wrote off to Calcutta +an application for a transfer, on the ground of the +unhealthiness of the place.</p> + +<p>Relieved from her duties as nurse, Ratan again +took up her old place outside the door. But she no +longer heard the same old call. She would sometimes +peep inside furtively to find the postmaster +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> +sitting on his chair, or stretched on his bed, and +staring absent-mindedly into the air. While Ratan +was awaiting her call, the postmaster was awaiting +a reply to his application. The girl read her old +lessons over and over again,—her great fear was +lest, when the call came, she might be found wanting +in the double consonants. At last, after a week, +the call did come one evening. With an overflowing +heart Ratan rushed into the room with her—"Were +you calling me, Dada?"</p> + +<p>The postmaster said: "I am going away to-morrow, +Ratan."</p> + +<p>"Where are you going, Dada?"</p> + +<p>"I am going home."</p> + +<p>"When will you come back?"</p> + +<p>"I am not coming back."</p> + +<p>Ratan asked no other question. The postmaster, +of his own accord, went on to tell her that his application +for a transfer had been rejected, so he had +resigned his post and was going home.</p> + +<p>For a long time neither of them spoke another +word. The lamp went on dimly burning, and from +a leak in one corner of the thatch water dripped +steadily into an earthen vessel on the floor beneath +it.</p> + +<p>After a while Ratan rose, and went off to the +kitchen to prepare the meal; but she was not so +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +quick about it as on other days. Many new things +to think of had entered her little brain. When the +postmaster had finished his supper, the girl suddenly +asked him: "Dada, will you take me to your +home?"</p> + +<p>The postmaster laughed. "What an idea!" said +he; but he did not think it necessary to explain to the +girl wherein lay the absurdity.</p> + +<p>That whole night, in her waking and in her +dreams, the postmaster's laughing reply haunted her—"What +an idea!"</p> + +<p>On getting up in the morning, the postmaster +found his bath ready. He had stuck to his Calcutta +habit of bathing in water drawn and kept in pitchers, +instead of taking a plunge in the river as was the +custom of the village. For some reason or other, +the girl could not ask him about the time of his +departure, so she had fetched the water from the +river long before sunrise, that it should be ready +as early as he might want it. After the bath came a +call for Ratan. She entered noiselessly, and looked +silently into her master's face for orders. The +master said: "You need not be anxious about my +going away, Ratan; I shall tell my successor to look +after you." These words were kindly meant, no +doubt: but inscrutable are the ways of a woman's +heart! +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p> + +<p>Ratan had borne many a scolding from her +master without complaint, but these kind words she +could not bear. She burst out weeping, and said: +"No, no, you need not tell anybody anything at all +about me; I don't want to stay on here."</p> + +<p>The postmaster was <a id="t_dumbfounded"></a><a href="#idx_dumbfounded" class="indx">dumbfounded</a>. He had +never seen Ratan like this before.</p> + +<p>The new incumbent duly arrived, and the postmaster, +having given over charge, prepared to depart. +Just before starting he called Ratan and +said: "Here is something for you; I hope it will +keep you for some little time." He brought out +from his pocket the whole of his month's salary, retaining +only a trifle for his travelling expenses. +Then Ratan fell at his feet and cried: "Oh, Dada, +I pray you, don't give me anything, don't in +any way trouble about me," and then she ran away +out of sight.</p> + +<p>The postmaster heaved a sigh, took up his carpet +bag, put his umbrella over his shoulder, and, accompanied +by a man carrying his many-coloured tin +trunk, he slowly made for the boat.</p> + +<p>When he got in and the boat was under way, +and the rain-swollen river, like a stream of tears +welling up from the earth, swirled and sobbed at her +bows, then he felt a pain at heart; the grief-stricken +face of a village girl seemed to represent for him the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> +great unspoken pervading grief of Mother Earth +herself. At one time he had an impulse to go back, +and bring away along with him that lonesome waif, +forsaken of the world. But the wind had just filled +the sails, the boat had got well into the middle of +the turbulent current, and already the village was left +behind, and its outlying burning-ground came in +sight.</p> + +<p>So the traveller, borne on the breast of the swift-flowing +river, consoled himself with philosophical +reflections on the numberless meetings and partings +going on in the world—on death, the great parting, +from which none returns.</p> + +<p>But Ratan had no philosophy. She was wandering +about the post office in a flood of tears. It may +be that she had still a lurking hope in some corner +of her heart that her Dada would return, and that +is why she could not tear herself away. Alas for +our foolish human nature! Its fond mistakes are +persistent. The dictates of reason take a long time +to assert their own sway. The surest proofs meanwhile +are disbelieved. False hope is clung to with +all one's might and main, till a day comes when it +has sucked the heart dry and it forcibly breaks +through its bonds and departs. After that comes +the misery of awakening, and then once again the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +longing to get back into the maze of the same mistakes.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_indigo"></a><a href="#t_indigo" class="indx">indigo</a>.</b> This word has a very interesting history. It +means "Indian." The celebrated dark-blue dye came +from India. This dye was first known to the Greeks +who called it "Indikon," then to the Latins who called +it Indicum, then to the Italians and Spaniards who +called it Indigo. It was introduced into England from +Italy by artists and painters who kept the Italian word +"indigo" without change.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_genie"></a><a href="#t_genie" class="indx">genie</a>.</b> There is a Latin word "genius," meaning originally +a spirit inhabiting a special place. It is from this +word that our English common noun "genius" is +taken, meaning a specially gifted or inspired person, +e.g. "a man of genius." But in the Arabian Nights a +completely different Arabic word is found, viz. "jinn" +with its feminine form "jinni." This was written in +English "genie" and was confused with the word +"genius." The plural of genie when used in this sense +is genii, which is really the plural of the Latin word +genius.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_macadamised"></a><a href="#t_macadamised" class="indx">macadamised</a>.</b> This is quite a modern word in English. +It comes from the name of the inventor of this kind of +road-paving, who was Mr. J. L. Macadam. He discovered +that different layers of small stone rolled in, +one after the other, can stand the wear and tear of +traffic. We have similar words from proper names. +Compare, <i>boycott</i>, <i>burke</i>, <i>lynch</i>, etc.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_allude"></a><a href="#t_allude" class="indx">allude</a>.</b> From the Latin "ludere," to play. Compare +<i>prelude</i>, <i>interlude</i>, <i>delude</i>, <i>collusion</i>, <i>elude</i>, <i>elusive</i>, <i>allusion</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_guava"></a><a href="#t_guava" class="indx">guava</a>.</b> This word came into English from the Spanish. +It is of great interest to trace the names of the fruits in +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +English back to their sources, e.g. <i>currant</i>, comes from +Corinth; <i>mango</i> from the Portuguese <i>manga</i> (from +the Tamil "mankay" <i>fruit-tree</i>); <i>orange</i> from the +Arabic "narang" and Hindustani "narangi"; <i>apricot</i> +from Arabic al-burquq; <i>date</i> from the Greek "daktulos," +meaning "finger."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_alphabet"></a><a href="#t_alphabet" class="indx">alphabet</a>.</b> The two first letters in the Greek language are +called "alpha" and "beta." Then the whole series +of letters was named an alphabeta or alphabet.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_consonants"></a><a href="#t_consonants" class="indx">consonants</a>.</b> From the Latin "sonare," meaning to sound. +Consonants are letters which "sound with" the vowels. +Compare <i>dissonant</i>, <i>assonance</i>, <i>sonant</i>, <i>sonorous</i>, +<i>sonata</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_canal"></a><a href="#t_canal" class="indx">canal</a>.</b> This is one example of a word taken into English +from the Latin, through the French, having a companion +word in English. The companion word in this +case is <i>channel</i>. Compare <i>cavalry</i> and <i>chivalry</i>, <i>legal</i> +and <i>loyal</i>, <i>guard</i> and <i>ward</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_dumbfounded"></a><a href="#t_dumbfounded" class="indx">dumbfounded</a>.</b> This word has come into the English language +from common speech. It is a mixture of the +English word dumb, and the Latin "fundere," "to +pour" which we find in <i>confound</i>, <i>profound</i>, <i>confusion</i>. +It is not often that we get such hybrid words in earlier +English, though to-day they are becoming common in +the case of new words such as <i>motorcar</i>, <i>speedometer</i>, +<i>airplane</i>, <i>waterplane</i>, <i>automobile</i>, etc. The old rule +used to be that a compound word in English should +have <i>both</i> its parts from the same language (e.g. both +parts Latin, or Greek, or Saxon, etc.). But this rule +is rapidly breaking down in common practice as new +words rush into the English language to express all the +new discoveries of science. We have English and +Greek roots mixed (such as <i>airplane</i>), and Latin and +Greek roots mixed (such as <i>oleograph</i>).</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p class="prechap">THE CASTAWAY</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="VIII"></a>VIII<br /> +<br /> +THE CASTAWAY</h2> + +<p><span class="smcap">Towards</span> evening the storm was at its height. +From the terrific downpour of rain, the crash of +thunder, and the repeated flashes of lightning, you +might think that a battle of the gods and demons +was raging in the skies. Black clouds waved like +the Flags of Doom. The Ganges was lashed into a +fury, and the trees of the gardens on either bank +swayed from side to side with sighs and groans.</p> + +<p>In a closed room of one of the riverside houses at +Chandernagore, a husband and his wife were seated +on a bed spread on the floor, intently discussing. +An earthen lamp burned beside them.</p> + +<p>The husband, Sharat, was saying: "I wish you +would stay on a few days more; you would then be +able to return home quite strong again."</p> + +<p>The wife, Kiran, was saying: "I have quite recovered +already. It will not, cannot possibly, do +me any harm to go home now."</p> + +<p>Every married person will at once understand that +the conversation was not quite so brief as I have +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> +reported it. The matter was not difficult, but the +arguments for and against did not advance it towards +a solution. Like a rudderless boat, the discussion +kept turning round and round the same point; and +at last threatened to be overwhelmed in a flood of +tears.</p> + +<p>Sharat said: "The doctor thinks you should stop +here a few days longer."</p> + +<p>Kiran replied: "Your doctor knows everything!"</p> + +<p>"Well," said Sharat, "you know that just now +all sorts of illnesses are abroad. You would do well +to stop here a month or two more."</p> + +<p>"And at this moment I suppose every one in this +place is perfectly well!"</p> + +<p>What had happened was this: Kiran was a +universal <a id="t_favourite"></a><a href="#idx_favourite" class="indx">favourite</a> with her family and neighbours, +so that, when she fell seriously ill, they were all +anxious. The village <a id="t_wiseacres"></a><a href="#idx_wiseacres" class="indx">wiseacres</a> thought it shameless +for her husband to make so much fuss about a mere +wife and even to suggest a change of air, and asked +if Sharat supposed that no woman had ever been ill +before, or whether he had found out that the folk +of the place to which he meant to take her were +immortal. Did he imagine that the writ of Fate +did not run there? But Sharat and his mother +turned a deaf ear to them, thinking that the little +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> +life of their darling was of greater importance than +the united wisdom of a village. People are wont +to reason thus when danger threatens their loved +ones. So Sharat went to Chandernagore, and +Kiran recovered, though she was still very weak. +There was a pinched look on her face which filled +the beholder with pity, and made his heart tremble, +as he thought how narrowly she had escaped death.</p> + +<p>Kiran was fond of society and amusement; the +loneliness of her riverside villa did not suit her at +all. There was nothing to do, there were no interesting +neighbours, and she hated to be busy all +day with medicine and dieting. There was no fun +in measuring doses and making fomentations. Such +was the subject discussed in their closed room on this +stormy evening.</p> + +<p>So long as Kiran <a id="t_deign"></a><a href="#idx_deign" class="indx">deigned</a> to argue, there was a +chance of a fair fight. When she ceased to reply, +and with a toss of her head disconsolately looked +the other way, the poor man was disarmed. He +was on the point of surrendering unconditionally +when a servant shouted a message through the shut +door.</p> + +<p>Sharat got up and on opening the door learnt that +a boat had been upset in the storm, and that one of +the occupants, a young Brahmin boy, had succeeded +in swimming ashore at their garden. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span></p> + +<p>Kiran was at once her own sweet self and set +to work to get out some dry clothes for the boy. +She then warmed a cup of milk and invited him to +her room.</p> + +<p>The boy had long curly hair, big expressive eyes, +and no sign yet of hair on the face. Kiran, after +getting him to drink some milk asked him all about +himself.</p> + +<p>He told her that his name was Nilkanta, and that +he belonged to a theatrical <a id="t_troupe"></a><a href="#idx_troupe" class="indx">troupe</a>. They were +coming to play in a neighbouring villa when the boat +had suddenly foundered in the storm. He had no +idea what had become of his companions. He was +a good swimmer and had just managed to reach the +shore.</p> + +<p>The boy stayed with them. His narrow escape +from a terrible death made Kiran take a warm interest +in him. Sharat thought the boy's appearance +at this moment rather a good thing, as his wife +would now have something to amuse her, and might +be persuaded to stay on for some time longer. Her +mother-in-law, too, was pleased at the prospect of +profiting their Brahmin guest by her kindness. And +Nilkanta himself was delighted at his double escape +from his master and from the other world, as well +as at finding a home in this wealthy family.</p> + +<p>But in a short while Sharat and his mother +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> +changed their opinion, and longed for his departure. +The boy found a secret pleasure in smoking Sharat's +hookahs; he would calmly go off in pouring rain +with Sharat's best silk umbrella for a stroll through +the village, and make friends with all whom he met. +Moreover, he had got hold of a mongrel village +dog which he petted so recklessly that it came indoors +with muddy paws, and left tokens of its visit on +Sharat's spotless bed. Then he gathered about him +a devoted band of boys of all sorts and sizes, and +the result was that not a solitary mango in the +neighbourhood had a chance of ripening that season.</p> + +<p>There is no doubt that Kiran had a hand in spoiling +the boy. Sharat often warned her about it, but +she would not listen to him. She made a dandy +of him with Sharat's cast-off clothes, and gave him +new ones also. And because she felt drawn towards +him, and had a curiosity to know more about him, +she was constantly calling him to her own room. +After her bath and midday meal Kiran would be +seated on the bedstead with her betel-leaf box by +her side; and while her maid combed and dried her +hair, Nilkanta would stand in front and recite pieces +out of his repertory with appropriate gesture and +song, his elf-locks waving wildly. Thus the long +afternoon hours passed merrily away. Kiran would +often try to persuade Sharat to sit with her as one +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +of the audience, but Sharat, who had taken a cordial +dislike to the boy, refused; nor could Nilkanta do +his part half so well when Sharat was there. His +mother would sometimes be lured by the hope of +hearing sacred names in the recitation; but love of +her mid-day sleep speedily overcame devotion, and +she lay lapped in dreams.</p> + +<p>The boy often got his ears boxed and pulled by +Sharat, but as this was nothing to what he had been +used to as a member of the troupe, he did not mind +it in the least. In his short experience of the world +he had come to the conclusion that, as the earth +consisted of land and water, so human life was made +up of eatings and beatings, and that the beatings +largely predominated.</p> + +<p>It was hard to tell Nilkanta's age. If it was +about fourteen or fifteen, then his face was too old +for his years; if seventeen or eighteen, then it was +too young. He was either a man too early or a boy +too late. The fact was that, joining the theatrical +band when very young, he had played the parts of +Radhika, Damayanti, and Sita, and a thoughtful +Providence so arranged things that he grew to the +exact stature that his manager required, and then +growth ceased.</p> + +<p>Since every one saw how small Nilkanta was, and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> +he himself felt small, he did not receive due respect +for his years. Causes, natural and artificial, combined +to make him sometimes seem immature for +seventeen years, and at other times a mere lad of +fourteen but far too knowing even for seventeen. +And as no sign of hair appeared on his face, the confusion +became greater. Either because he smoked +or because he used language beyond his years, his +lips puckered into lines that showed him to be old +and hard; but innocence and youth shone in his large +eyes. I fancy that his heart remained young, but +the hot glare of publicity had been a forcing-house +that ripened untimely his outward aspect.</p> + +<p>In the quiet shelter of Sharat's house and garden +at Chandernagore, Nature had leisure to work her +way unimpeded. Nilkanta had lingered in a kind +of unnatural youth, but now he silently and swiftly +overpassed that stage. His seventeen or eighteen +years came to adequate revelation. No one observed +the change, and its first sign was this, that +when Kiran treated him like a boy, he felt ashamed. +When the gay Kiran one day proposed that he +should play the part of lady's companion, the idea +of woman's dress hurt him, though he could not +say why. So now, when she called for him to act +over again his old characters, he disappeared. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p> + +<p>It never occurred to Nilkanta that he was even +now not much more than a lad-of-all-work in a strolling +company. He even made up his mind to pick +up a little education from Sharat's factor. But, because +he was the pet of his master's wife, the factor +could not endure the sight of him. Also, his restless +training made it impossible for him to keep his +mind long engaged; sooner or later, the alphabet +did a misty dance before his eyes. He would sit +long enough with an open book on his lap, leaning +against a <i>champak</i> bush beside the Ganges. The +waves sighed below, boats floated past, birds flitted +and twittered restlessly above. What thoughts +passed through his mind as he looked down on that +book he alone knew, if indeed he did know. He +never advanced from one word to another, but the +glorious thought, that he was actually reading a +book, filled his soul with exultation. Whenever a +boat went by, he lifted his book, and pretended to +be reading hard, shouting at the top of his voice. +But his energy dropped as soon as the audience was +gone.</p> + +<p>Formerly he sang his songs <a id="t_automatically"></a><a href="#idx_automatically" class="indx">automatically</a>, but now +their tunes stirred in his mind. Their words were +of little import and full of trifling <a id="t_alliteration"></a><a href="#idx_alliteration" class="indx">alliteration</a>. +Even the feeble meaning they had was beyond his +comprehension; yet when he sang +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Twice-born bird, ah! wherefore stirred<br /></span> +<span class="i1">To wrong our royal lady?<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Goose, ah, say why wilt thou slay<br /></span> +<span class="i1">Her in forest shady?<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>then he felt as if transported to another world and +to fear other folk. This familiar earth and his own +poor life became music, and he was transformed. +That tale of the goose and the king's daughter +flung upon the mirror of his mind a picture of surpassing +beauty. It is impossible to say what he +imagined himself to be, but the destitute little slave +of the theatrical troupe faded from his memory.</p> + +<p>When with evening the child of want lies down, +dirty and hungry, in his squalid home, and hears +of prince and princess and fabled gold, then in the +dark hovel with its dim flickering candle, his mind +springs free from its bonds of poverty and misery +and walks in fresh beauty and glowing raiment, +strong beyond all fear of hindrance, through that +fairy realm where all is possible.</p> + +<p>Even so, this drudge of wandering players +fashioned himself and his world anew, as he moved +in spirit amid his songs. The lapping water, +rustling leaves, and calling birds; the goddess who +had given shelter to him, the helpless, the God-forsaken; +her gracious, lovely face, her exquisite arms +with their shining bangles, her rosy feet as soft as +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> +flower-petals; all these by some magic became one +with the music of his song. When the singing +ended, the <a id="t_mirage"></a><a href="#idx_mirage" class="indx">mirage</a> faded, and the Nilkanta of the +stage appeared again, with his wild elf-locks. +Fresh from the complaints of his neighbour, the +owner of the despoiled mango-orchard, Sharat +would come and box his ears and cuff him. The +boy Nilkanta, the misleader of adoring youths, went +forth once more, to make ever new mischief by land +and water and in the branches that are above the +earth.</p> + +<p>Shortly after the advent of Nilkanta, Sharat's +younger brother, Satish, came to spend his college +vacation with them. Kiran was hugely pleased at +finding a fresh occupation. She and Satish were +of the same age, and the time passed pleasantly in +games and quarrels and reconciliations and laughter +and even tears. Suddenly she would clasp him over +the eyes from behind with vermilion-stained hands, +or she would write "monkey" on his back, or else +she would bolt the door on him from the outside +amidst peals of laughter. Satish in his turn did not +take things lying down; he would steal her keys +and rings; he would put pepper among her betel, +he would tie her to the bed when she was not looking.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, heaven only knows what possessed +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> +poor Nilkanta. He was suddenly filled with a +bitterness which he must avenge on somebody or +something. He thrashed his devoted boy-followers +for no fault, and sent them away crying. He would +kick his pet mongrel till it made the skies resound +with its whinings. When he went out for a walk, +he would litter his path with twigs and leaves beaten +from the roadside shrubs with his cane.</p> + +<p>Kiran liked to see people enjoying good fare. +Nilkanta had an immense capacity for eating, and +never refused a good thing however often it was +offered. So Kiran liked to send for him to have +his meals in her presence, and ply him with delicacies, +happy in the bliss of seeing this Brahmin boy eat to +satiety. After Satish's arrival she had much less +spare time on her hands, and was seldom present +when Nilkanta's meals were served. Before, her +absence made no difference to the boy's appetite, +and he would not rise till he had drained his cup +of milk and rinsed it thoroughly with water.</p> + +<p>But now, if Kiran was not present to ask him +to try this and that, he was miserable, and nothing +tasted right. He would get up, without eating +much, and say to the serving-maid in a choking voice: +"I am not hungry." He thought in imagination +that the news of his repeated refusal, "I am not +hungry," would reach Kiran; he pictured her concern, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> +and hoped that she would send for him, and +press him to eat. But nothing of the sort happened. +Kiran never knew and never sent for him; and the +maid finished whatever he left. He would then put +out the lamp in his room, and throw himself on his +bed in the darkness, burying his head in the pillow +in a paroxysm of sobs. What was his grievance? +Against whom? And from whom did he expect +redress? At last, when no one else came, Mother +Sleep soothed with her soft caresses the wounded +heart of the motherless lad.</p> + +<p>Nilkanta came to the unshakable conviction that +Satish was poisoning Kiran's mind against him. +If Kiran was absent-minded, and had not her usual +smile, he would jump to the conclusion that some +trick of Satish had made her angry with him. He +took to praying to the gods, with all the fervour of +his hate, to make him at the next rebirth Satish, and +Satish him. He had an idea that a Brahmin's wrath +could never be in vain; and the more he tried to +consume Satish with the fire of his curses, the more +did his own heart burn within him. And upstairs +he would hear Satish laughing and joking with his +sister-in-law.</p> + +<p>Nilkanta never dared openly to show his enmity +to Satish. But he would contrive a hundred petty +ways of causing him annoyance. When Satish went +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> +for a swim in the river, and left his soap on the +steps of the bathing-place, on coming back for it he +would find that it had disappeared. Once he found +his favourite striped tunic floating past him on the +water, and thought it had been blown away by the +wind.</p> + +<p>One day Kiran, desiring to entertain Satish, sent +for Nilkanta to recite as usual, but he stood there +in gloomy silence. Quite surprised, Kiran asked +him what was the matter. But he remained silent. +And when again pressed by her to repeat some particular +favourite piece of hers, he answered: "I +don't remember," and walked away.</p> + +<p>At last the time came for their return home. +Everybody was busy packing up. Satish was going +with them. But to Nilkanta nobody said a word. +The question whether he was to go or not seemed +to have occurred to nobody.</p> + +<p>The subject, as a matter of fact, had been raised +by Kiran, who had proposed to take him along with +them. But her husband and his mother and +brother had all objected so strenuously that she let +the matter drop. A couple of days before they were +to start, she sent for the boy, and with kind words +advised him to go back to his own home.</p> + +<p>So many days had he felt neglected that this touch +of kindness was too much for him; he burst into +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +tears. Kiran's eyes were also brimming over. She +was filled with remorse at the thought that she had +created a tie of affection, which could not be permanent.</p> + +<p>But Satish was much annoyed at the blubbering +of this overgrown boy. "Why does the fool stand +there howling instead of speaking?" said he. +When Kiran scolded him for an unfeeling creature, +he replied: "My dear sister, you do not understand. +You are too good and trustful. This fellow +turns up from the Lord knows where, and is treated +like a king. Naturally the tiger has no wish to become +a mouse again. And he has evidently discovered +that there is nothing like a tear or two +to soften your heart."</p> + +<p>Nilkanta hurriedly left the spot. He felt he +would like to be a knife to cut Satish to pieces; a +needle to pierce him through and through; a fire to +burn him to ashes. But Satish was not even scared. +It was only his own heart that bled and bled.</p> + +<p>Satish had brought with him from Calcutta a +grand inkstand. The inkpot was set in a mother-of-pearl +boat drawn by a German-silver goose supporting +a penholder. It was a great favourite of +his, and he cleaned it carefully every day with an old +silk handkerchief. Kiran would laugh, and tapping +the silver bird's beak would say +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Twice-born bird, ah! wherefore stirred<br /></span> +<span class="i1">To wrong our royal lady?<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>and the usual war of words would break out between +her and her brother-in-law.</p> + +<p>The day before they were to start, the inkstand +was missing and could nowhere be found. Kiran +smiled, and said: "Brother-in-law, your goose +has flown off to look for your Damayanti."</p> + +<p>But Satish was in a great rage. He was certain +that Nilkanta had stolen it—for several people said +they had seen him prowling about the room the night +before. He had the accused brought before him. +Kiran also was there. "You have stolen my inkstand, +you thief!" he blurted out. "Bring it back +at once." Nilkanta had always taken punishment +from Sharat, deserved or undeserved, with perfect +equanimity. But, when he was called a thief in +Kiran's presence, his eyes blazed with a fierce anger, +his breast swelled, and his throat choked. If Satish +had said another word, he would have flown at him +like a wild cat and used his nails like claws.</p> + +<p>Kiran was greatly distressed at the scene, and +taking the boy into another room said in her sweet, +kind way: "Nilu, if you really have taken that +inkstand give it to me quietly, and I shall see that +no one says another word to you about it." Big +tears coursed down the boy's cheeks, till at last he +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> +hid his face in his hands, and wept bitterly. Kiran +came back from the room and said: "I am sure +Nilkanta has not taken the inkstand." Sharat and +Satish were equally positive that no other than Nilkanta +could have done it.</p> + +<p>But Kiran said determinedly: "Never."</p> + +<p>Sharat wanted to cross-examine the boy, but his +wife refused to allow it.</p> + +<p>Then Satish suggested that his room and box +should be searched. And Kiran said: "If you +dare do such a thing I will never forgive you. You +shall not spy on the poor innocent boy." And as +she spoke, her wonderful eyes filled with tears. +That settled the matter and effectually prevented +any further molestation of Nilkanta.</p> + +<p>Kiran's heart overflowed with pity at this attempted +outrage on a homeless lad. She got two +new suits of clothes and a pair of shoes, and with +these and a banknote in her hand she quietly went +into Nilkanta's room in the evening. She intended +to put these parting presents into his box as a surprise. +The box itself had been her gift.</p> + +<p>From her bunch of keys she selected one that +fitted and noiselessly opened the box. It was so +jumbled up with odds and ends that the new clothes +would not go in. So she thought she had better +take everything out and pack the box for him. At +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +first knives, tops, kite-flying reels, bamboo twigs, +polished shells for peeling green mangoes, bottoms +of broken tumblers and such like things dear to a +boy's heart were discovered. Then there came a +layer of linen, clean and otherwise. And from +under the linen there emerged the missing inkstand, +goose and all.</p> + +<p>Kiran, with flushed face, sat down helplessly with +the inkstand in her hand, puzzled and wondering.</p> + +<p>In the meantime, Nilkanta had come into the +room from behind without Kiran knowing it. He +had seen the whole thing and thought that Kiran +had come like a thief to catch him in his thieving,—and +that his deed was out. How could he ever hope +to convince her that he was not a thief, and that only +revenge had prompted him to take the inkstand, +which he meant to throw into the river at the first +chance? In a weak moment he had put it in the +box instead. "He was not a thief," his heart cried +out, "not a thief!" Then what was he? What +could he say? That he had stolen, and yet he was +not a thief? He could never explain to Kiran how +grievously wrong she was. And then, how could he +bear the thought that she had tried to spy on him?</p> + +<p>At last Kiran with a deep sigh replaced the inkstand +in the box, and, as if she were the thief herself, +covered it up with the linen and the trinkets +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> +as they were before; and at the top she placed the +presents, together with the banknote which she had +brought for him.</p> + +<p>The next day the boy was nowhere to be found. +The villagers had not seen him; the police could discover +no trace of him. Said Sharat: "Now, as a +matter of curiosity, let us have a look at his box." +But Kiran was obstinate in her refusal to allow that +to be done.</p> + +<p>She had the box brought up to her own room; +and taking out the inkstand alone, she threw it into +the river.</p> + +<p>The whole family went home. In a day the +garden became desolate. And only that starving +mongrel of Nilkanta's remained prowling along the +river-bank, whining and whining as if its heart would +break.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_favourite"></a><a href="#t_favourite" class="indx">favourite</a>.</b> A certain number of words such as <i>honour</i>, +<i>colour</i>, <i>favour</i>, <i>ardour</i>, <i>fervour</i> have come into English +through the French from the Latin. There is a constant +tendency to-day in modern English to leave out +the letter "u" and spell <i>color</i>, <i>favor</i>, etc. But this +movement has not yet gained much ground in England.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_wiseacres"></a><a href="#t_wiseacres" class="indx">wiseacres</a>.</b> This form originally comes from the Dutch. +The ending "acres" is a corruption of the Dutch "seggen" +which is the same as the English to say. The +word is equivalent to "wise-sayers."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_deign"></a><a href="#t_deign" class="indx">deign</a>.</b> This is a word which comes through the French +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> +from the Latin "dignus," meaning worthy. Compare +<i>indignant</i>, <i>dignitary</i>, <i>condign</i>, <i>indignity</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_troupe"></a><a href="#t_troupe" class="indx">troupe</a>.</b> An example of two words, with slightly different +meanings, coming from one and the same French word. +The French word is "troupe," meaning a company. +This form is used in English for a company of players +or actors. But the form "troop" is used chiefly of +soldiers.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_automatically"></a><a href="#t_automatically" class="indx">automatically</a>.</b> This is a modern English word from the +Greek "autos," meaning self. Compare <i>autobiography</i>, +<i>autonomy</i>, <i>autocracy</i>. Modern English is drawing +largely from the Greek language for its new words.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_alliteration"></a><a href="#t_alliteration" class="indx">alliteration</a>.</b> The Latin word for letter is "littera." +From this we get many English words, e.g. <i>letter</i>, <i>literate</i>, +<i>literal</i>, <i>literature</i>, <i>illiterate</i>, <i>obliterate</i>, <i>transliterate</i>, +etc.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_mirage"></a><a href="#t_mirage" class="indx">mirage</a>.</b> From the Latin "mirari," to wonder. Compare +<i>mirror</i>, <i>miracle</i>, <i>admire</i>. This is one of the words in +English which keeps the old French accent on the last +syllable—miráge. The tendency in English is always +to throw the accent back as far as possible. Many +words have changed their pronunciation in the course +of time. Obdurate, in Milton's time, was pronounced +obdúrate, but to-day it is pronounced óbdurate. Trafalgar +was pronounced Trafalgár last century. Now +we pronounce it Trafálgar.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p> +<p class="prechap">THE SON OF RASHMANI</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="IX"></a>IX<br /> +<br /> +THE SON OF RASHMANI</h2> + +<h3>I</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Kalipada</span>'s mother was Rashmani, but she had to +do the duty of the father as well, because when both +of the parents are "mother" then it is bad for the +child. Bhavani, her husband, was wholly incapable +of keeping his children under discipline. To know +why he was bent on spoiling his son, you must hear +something of the former history of the family.</p> + +<p>Bhavani was born in the famous house of +Saniari. His father, Abhaya Charan, had a son, +Shyama Charan, by his first wife. When he married +again after her death he had himself passed the +marriageable age, and his new father-in-law took +advantage of the weakness of his position to have a +special portion of his estate settled on his daughter. +In this way he was satisfied that proper provision +had been made, if his daughter should become a +widow early in life. She would be independent of +the charity of Shyama Charan. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> + +<p>The first part of his anticipation came true. For +very soon after the birth of a son, whom she called +Bhavani, Abhaya Charan died. It gave the father-in-law +great peace and consolation, as he looked forward +to his own death, to know that his daughter +was properly looked after.</p> + +<p>Shyama Charan was quite grown up. In fact his +own eldest boy was a year older than Bhavani. He +brought up the latter with his own son. In doing +this he never took a farthing from the property +allotted to his step-mother, and every year he got a +receipt from her after submitting <a id="t_detailed"></a><a href="#idx_detailed" class="indx">detailed</a> accounts. +His honesty in this affair surprised the neighbourhood. +In fact they thought that such honesty was +another name for foolishness. They did not like +the idea of a division being made in the undivided +ancestral property. If Shyama Charan in some +underhand manner had been able to annul the dowry, +his neighbours would have admired his sagacity; and +there were good advisers ready to hand who could +have rendered him material aid in the attainment of +such an object. But Shyama Charan, in spite of the +risk of crippling his <a id="t_patrimony"></a><a href="#idx_patrimony" class="indx">patrimony</a>, strictly set aside the +dowry which came to the share of his step-mother; +and the widow, Vraja Sundari, being naturally +affectionate and trustful, had every confidence in +Shyama Charan whom she trusted as her own son. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> +More than once she had chided him for being so +particular about her portion of the property. She +would tell him that, as she was not going to take her +property with her when she died, and as it would in +any case <a id="t_revert"></a><a href="#idx_revert" class="indx">revert</a> to the family, it was not necessary +to be so very strict about rendering accounts. But +he never listened to her.</p> + +<p>Shyama Charan was a severe disciplinarian by +habit and his children were perfectly aware of the +fact. But Bhavani had every possible freedom, and +this gave rise to the impression that he was more +partial to his step-brother than to his own sons. +But Bhavani's education was sadly neglected and he +completely relied on Shyama Charan for the management +of his share of the property. He merely had +to sign documents occasionally without ever spending +a thought on their contents. On the other hand, +Tarapada, the eldest son of Shyama Charan, was +quite an expert in the management of the estate, +having to act as an assistant to his father.</p> + +<p>After the death of Shyama Charan, Tarapada +said to Bhavani, "Uncle, we must not live together +as we have done for so long, because some trifling +misunderstanding may come at any moment and +cause utter disruption."</p> + +<p>Bhavani never imagined, even in his dream, that +a day might come when he would have to manage +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> +his own affairs. The world in which he had been +born and bred ever appeared to him complete and +entire in itself. It was an incomprehensible calamity +to him that there could be a dividing line somewhere +and that this world of his could be split into two. +When he found that Tarapada was immovable and +indifferent to the grief and dishonour that such a +step would bring to the family, he began to rack his +brain to find out how the property could be divided +with the least possible strain.</p> + +<p>Tarapada showed surprise at his uncle's anxiety +and said that there was no need to trouble about +this, because the division had already been made in +the life-time of his grandfather. Bhavani said in +<a id="t_amazement"></a><a href="#idx_amazement" class="indx">amazement</a>, "But I know nothing of this!" Tarapada +said in answer, "Then you must be the only +one in the whole neighbourhood who does not. +For, lest there should be ruinous litigation after he +had gone, my grandfather had already given a portion +of the property to your mother." Bhavani +thought this not unlikely and asked, "What about +the house?" Tarapada said, "If you wish, you +can keep this house to yourself and we shall be contented +with the other house in the district town."</p> + +<p>As Bhavani had never been to this town-house, he +had neither knowledge of it, nor affection for it. +He was astounded at the magnanimity of Tarapada +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> +for so easily relinquishing his right to the house in +the village where they had been brought up. But +when Bhavani told everything to his mother, she +struck her forehead with her hand and said: "This +is <a id="t_preposterous"></a><a href="#idx_preposterous" class="indx">preposterous</a>! What I got from my husband was +my own dowry and its income is very small. I do +not see why you should be deprived of your share +in your father's property."</p> + +<p>Bhavani said, "Tarapada is quite positive that +his grandfather never gave us any thing except this +land."</p> + +<p>Vraja Sundari was astonished and informed her +son that her husband had made two copies of his +will, one of which was still lying in her own box. +The box was opened and it was found that there +was only the deed of gift for the property belonging +to the mother and nothing else. The copy of the +will had been taken out.</p> + +<p>The help of advisers was sought. The man who +came to their rescue was Bagala, the son of their +family <i>guru</i>. It was the profession of the father +to look after the spiritual needs of the village; the +material side was left to the son. The two of them +had divided between themselves the other world and +this. Whatever might be the result for others, they +themselves had nothing to suffer from this division. +Bagala said that, even if the will was missing, the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> +shares in the ancestral property must be equal, as +between the brothers.</p> + +<p>Just at this time, a copy of a will made its appearance +supporting the claims of the other side. In this +document there was no mention of Bhavani and the +whole property was given to the grandsons at the +time when no son was born to Bhavani. With +Bagala as his captain Bhavani set out on his voyage +across the perilous sea of litigation. When his +vessel at last reached harbour his funds were nearly +exhausted and the ancestral property was in the +hands of the other party. The land which was +given to his mother had dwindled to such an extent, +that it could barely give them shelter, or keep up the +family dignity. Then Tarapada went away to the +district town and they never met again.</p> + +<h3>II</h3> + +<p>Shyama Charan's <a id="t_treachery"></a><a href="#idx_treachery" class="indx">treachery</a> pierced the heart of +the widow like an assassin's knife. To the end of +her life, almost every day she would heave a sigh +and say that God would never suffer such an injustice +to be done. She was quite firm in her faith +when she said to Bhavani, "I do not know your +law or your law courts, but I am certain that my +husband's true will and testament will someday be +recovered. You will find it again." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> + +<p>Because Bhavani was helpless in worldly matters +such assurances as these gave him great consolation. +He settled down in his inactivity, certain in +his own mind that his pious mother's prophecy could +never remain unfulfilled. After his mother's death +his faith became all the stronger, since the memory +of her piety acquired greater radiance through death's +mystery. He felt quite unconcerned about the stress +of their poverty which became more and more +formidable as the years went by. The necessities of +life and the maintenance of family traditions,—these +seemed to him like play acting on a temporary stage, +not real things. When his former expensive clothing +was outworn and he had to buy cheap materials +in the shop, this amused him almost like a joke. +He smiled and said to himself,—"These people do +not know that this is only a passing phase of my +fortune. Their surprise will be all the greater, +when some day I shall celebrate the Puja Festival +with unwonted magnificence."</p> + +<p>This certainty of future prodigality was so clear +to his mind's eye that present penury escaped his attention. +His servant, Noto, was the principal companion +with whom he had discussions about these +things. They used to have animated conversations, +in which sometimes his opinion differed from his +master's, as to the propriety of bringing down a +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> +theatrical troupe from Calcutta for these future +occasions. Noto used to get reprimands from +Bhavani for his natural miserliness in these items of +future expenditure.</p> + +<p>While Bhavani's one anxiety was about the +absence of an heir, who could inherit his vast possible +wealth, a son was born to him. The horoscope +plainly indicated that the lost property would come +back to this boy.</p> + +<p>From the time of the birth of his son, Bhavani's +attitude was changed. It became cruelly difficult for +him now to bear his poverty with his old amused +equanimity, because he felt that he had a duty +towards this new representative of the illustrious +house of Saniari, who had such a glorious future before +him. That the traditional extravagance could +not be maintained on the occasion of the birth of his +child gave him the keenest sorrow. He felt as if +he were cheating his own son. So he compensated +his boy with an inordinate amount of spoiling.</p> + +<p>Bhavani's wife, Rashmani, had a different temperament +from her husband. She never felt any anxiety +about the family traditions of the Chowdhuris of +Saniari. Bhavani was quite aware of the fact and +indulgently smiled to himself, as though nothing +better could be expected from a woman who came +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +from a Vaishnava family of very humble lineage. +Rashmani frankly acknowledged that she could not +share the family sentiments: what concerned her +most was the welfare of her own child.</p> + +<p>There was hardly an acquaintance in the neighbourhood +with whom Bhavani did not discuss the +question of the lost will; but he never spoke a word +about it to his wife. Once or twice he had tried, +but her perfect unconcern had made him drop the +subject. She neither paid attention to the past greatness +of the family, nor to its future glories,—she +kept her mind busy with the actual necessities of the +present, and those necessities were not small in +number or quality.</p> + +<p>When the Goddess of Fortune deserts a house, she +usually leaves some of her burdens behind, and this +ancient family was still encumbered with its host of +dependents, though its own shelter was nearly +crumbling to dust. These <a id="t_parasites"></a><a href="#idx_parasites" class="indx">parasites</a> take it to be +an insult if they are asked to do any service. They +get head-aches at the least touch of the kitchen +smoke. They are visited with sudden rheumatism +the moment they are asked to run errands. Therefore +all the responsibilities of maintaining the family +were laid upon Rashmani herself. Women lose +their delicacy of refinement, when they are compelled +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> +night and day to <a id="t_haggle"></a><a href="#idx_haggle" class="indx">haggle</a> with their destiny over things +which are pitifully small, and for this they are +blamed by those for whom they toil.</p> + +<p>Besides her household affairs Rashmani had to +keep all the accounts of the little landed <a id="t_property"></a><a href="#idx_property" class="indx">property</a> +which remained and also to make arrangements for +collecting rents. Never before was the estate +managed with such strictness. Bhavani had been +quite incapable of collecting his dues: Rashmani +never made any remission of the least fraction of +rent. The tenants, and even her own agents, reviled +her behind her back for the meanness of the family +from which she came. Even her husband occasionally +used to enter his protest against the harsh +economy which went against the grain of the world-famed +house of Saniari.</p> + +<p>Rashmani quite ungrudgingly took the blame of all +this upon herself and openly confessed the poverty +of her parents. Tying the end of her <i>sari</i> tightly +round her waist she went on with her household +duties in her own vigorous fashion and made herself +thoroughly disagreeable both to the inmates of the +house and to her neighbours. But nobody ever had +the courage to interfere. Only one thing she carefully +avoided. She never asked her husband to +help her in any work and she was nervously afraid +of his taking up any responsibilities. Indeed she was +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> +always furiously engaged in keeping her husband +idle; and because he had received the best possible +training in this direction she was wholly successful +in her mission.</p> + +<p>Rashmani had attained middle age before her son +came. Up to this time all the pent-up tenderness of +the mother in her and all the love of the wife had +their centre of devotion in this simple-hearted <a id="t_good-for-nothing"></a><a href="#idx_good-for-nothing" class="indx">good-for-nothing</a> +husband. Bhavani was a child grown +up by mistake beyond its natural age. This was +the reason why, after the death of her husband's +mother, she had to assume the position of mother +and mistress in one.</p> + +<p>In order to protect her husband from invasions of +Bagala, the son of the <i>guru</i>, and other calamities, +Rashmani adopted such a stern demeanour, that the +companions of her husband used to be terribly afraid +of her. She never had the opportunity, which a +woman usually has, of keeping her fierceness hidden +and of softening the keen edge of her words,—maintaining +a dignified reserve towards men such as +is proper for a woman.</p> + +<p>Bhavani meekly accepted his wife's authority with +regard to himself, but it became extremely hard +for him to obey her when it related to Kalipada, +his son. The reason was, that Rashmani never regarded +Bhavani's son from the point of view of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> +Bhavani himself. In her heart she pitied her husband +and said, "Poor man, it was no fault of his, +but his misfortune, to be born into a rich family." +That is why she never could expect her husband +to be deprived of any comfort to which he had been +accustomed. Whatever might be the condition of +the household finance, she tried hard to keep him in +his habitual ease and luxury. Under her <a id="t_regime"></a><a href="#idx_regime" class="indx">regime</a> all +expense was strictly limited except in the case of +Bhavani. She would never allow him to notice if +some inevitable <a id="t_gap"></a><a href="#idx_gap" class="indx">gap</a> occurred in the preparation of +his meals or his apparel. She would blame some +imaginary dog for spoiling dishes that were never +made and would blame herself for her carelessness. +She would attack Noto for letting some fictitious +article of dress be stolen or lost. This had the usual +effect of rousing Bhavani's <a id="t_sympathy"></a><a href="#idx_sympathy" class="indx">sympathy</a> on behalf of his +favourite servant and he would take up his defence. +Indeed it had often happened that Bhavani had confessed +with bare-faced shamelessness that he had +used the dress which had never been bought, and for +whose loss Noto was blamed; but what happened +afterwards, he had not the power to invent and was +obliged to rely upon the fertile imagination of his +wife who was also the accuser!</p> + +<p>Thus Rashmani treated her husband, but she +never put her son in the same category. For he was +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> +her own child and why should he be allowed to give +himself airs? Kalipada had to be content for his +breakfast with a few handfuls of puffed rice and +some treacle. During the cold weather he had to +wrap his body as well as his head with a thick rough +cotton <i>chaddar</i>. She would call his teacher before +her and warn him never to spare her boy, if he was +the least neglectful with his lessons. This treatment +of his own son was the hardest blow that +Bhavani Charan suffered since the days of his destitution. +But as he had always acknowledged defeat at +the hands of the powerful, he had not the spirit to +stand up against his wife in her method of dealing +with the boy.</p> + +<p>The dress which Rashmani provided for her son, +during the Puja festivities, was made of such poor +material that in former days the very servants of +the house would have rebelled if it had been offered +to them. But Rashmani more than once tried her +best to explain to her husband that Kalipada, being +the most recent addition to the Chowdhuri family, +had never known their former splendour and so was +quite glad to get what was given to him. But this +pathetic innocence of the boy about his own destiny +hurt Bhavani more than anything else, and he could +not forgive himself for deceiving the child. When +Kalipada would dance for joy and rush to him to +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> +show him some present from his mother, which was +ridiculously trivial, Bhavani's heart would suffer +torture.</p> + +<p>Bagala, the <i>guru's</i> son, was now in an affluent condition +owing to his agency in the <a id="t_law_suit"></a><a href="#idx_law_suit" class="indx">law suit</a> which had +brought about the ruin of Bhavani. With the money +which he had in hand he used to buy cheap tinsel +wares from Calcutta before the Puja holidays. Invisible +ink,—<a id="t_absurd"></a><a href="#idx_absurd" class="indx">absurd</a> combinations of stick, fishing-rod +and umbrella,—letter-paper with pictures in the +corner,—silk fabrics bought at auctions, and other +things of this kind, attractive to the simple villagers,—these +were his stock in trade. All the forward +young men of the village vied with one another in +rising above their rusticity by purchasing these +sweepings of the Calcutta market which, they were +told, were absolutely necessary for the city gentry.</p> + +<p>Once Bagala had bought a wonderful toy,—a <a id="t_doll"></a><a href="#idx_doll" class="indx">doll</a> +in the form of a <a id="t_foreign"></a><a href="#idx_foreign" class="indx">foreign</a> woman,—which, when +wound up, would rise from her chair and begin to +fan herself with sudden alacrity. Kalipada was +fascinated by it. He had a very good reason to +avoid asking his mother about the toy; so he went +straight to his father and begged him to purchase it +for him. Bhavani answered "yes" at once, but +when he heard the price his face fell. Rashmani +kept all the money and he went to her as a timid +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> +beggar. He began with all sorts of irrelevant remarks +and then took a desperate plunge into the +subject with startling <a id="t_incoherence"></a><a href="#idx_incoherence" class="indx">incoherence</a>.</p> + +<p>Rashmani briefly remarked: "Are you mad?" +Bhavani Charan sat silent revolving in his mind what +to say next.</p> + +<p>"Look here," he exclaimed, "I don't think I +need milk pudding daily with my dinner."</p> + +<p>"Who told you?" said Rashmani sharply.</p> + +<p>"The doctor says it's very bad for biliousness."</p> + +<p>"The doctor's a fool!"</p> + +<p>"But I'm sure that rice agrees with me better than +your <i>luchis</i>. They are too indigestible."</p> + +<p>"I've never seen the least sign of indigestion in +you. You have been accustomed to them all your +life!"</p> + +<p>Bhavani Charan was ready enough to make +sacrifices, but there his passage was barred. Butter +might rise in price, but the number of his <i>luchis</i> never +diminished. Milk was quite enough for him at his +midday meal, but curds also had to be supplied because +that was the family tradition. Rashmani +could not have borne seeing him sit down to his +meal, if curds were not supplied. Therefore all his +attempts to make a breach in his daily provisions, +through which the fanning foreign woman might +enter, were an utter failure. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then Bhavani paid a visit to Bagala for no reason +whatever, and after a great deal of round about +talk asked concerning the foreign doll. Of course +his straightened circumstances had long been known +to Bagala, yet it was a perfect misery to Bhavani +to have to hesitate to buy this doll for his son owing +to want of ready money. Swallowing his pride, he +brought out from under his arm an expensive old +Kashmir <a id="t_shawl"></a><a href="#idx_shawl" class="indx">shawl</a>, and said in a <a id="t_husky"></a><a href="#idx_husky" class="indx">husky</a> voice: "My +<ins class="corr" title="circumstance">circumstances</ins> are bad just at present and I haven't +got much cash. So I have determined to mortgage +this shawl and buy that doll for Kalipada."</p> + +<p>If the object offered had been less expensive than +this Kashmir shawl, Bagala would at once have +closed the <a id="t_bargain"></a><a href="#idx_bargain" class="indx">bargain</a>. But knowing that it would not +be possible for him to take possession of this shawl +in face of the village opinion, and still more in face +of Rashmani's watchfulness, he refused to accept it; +and Bhavani had to go back home disappointed with +the Kashmir shawl hidden under his arm.</p> + +<p>Kalipada asked every day for that foreign fanning +toy, and Bhavani smiled every day and said,—"Wait, +a bit, my boy, till the seventh day of the +moon comes round." But every new day it became +more and more difficult to keep up that smile.</p> + +<p>On the fourth day of the moon Bhavani made +a sudden inroad upon his wife and said: +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I've noticed that there's something wrong with +Kalipada,—something the matter with his health."</p> + +<p>"Nonsense," said Rashmani, "he's in the best of +health."</p> + +<p>"Haven't you noticed him sitting silent for hours +together?"</p> + +<p>"I should be very greatly relieved if he could sit +still for as many minutes."</p> + +<p>When all his arrows had missed their mark, and +no impression had been made, Bhavani Charan +heaved a deep sigh and passing his fingers through +his hair went away and sat down on the verandah +and began to smoke with fearful assiduity.</p> + +<p>On the fifth day, at his morning meal, Bhavani +passed by the curds and the milk pudding without +touching them. In the evening he simply took one +single piece of <i>sandesh</i>. The <i>luchis</i> were left unheeded. +He complained of want of appetite. +This time a considerable breach was made in the +fortifications.</p> + +<p>On the sixth day, Rashmani took Kalipada into +the room and sweetly calling him by his pet name +said, "Betu, you are old enough to know that it is +the halfway house to stealing to desire that which +you can't have."</p> + +<p>Kalipada whimpered and said, "What do I know +about it? Father promised to give me that doll." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span></p> + +<p>Rashmani sat down to explain to him how much +lay behind his father's promise,—how much pain, +how much affection, how much loss and privation. +Rashmani had never in her life before talked thus +to Kalipada, because it was her habit to give short +and sharp commands. It filled the boy with amazement +when he found his mother coaxing him and +explaining things at such a length, and mere child +though he was, he could fathom something of the +deep suffering of his mother's heart. Yet at the +same time it will be easily understood, that it +was hard for this boy to turn his mind away altogether +from that captivating foreign fanning woman. +He pulled a long face and began to scratch the +ground.</p> + +<p>This made Rashmani's heart at once hard, and +she said in her severe tone: "Yes, you may weep +and cry, or become angry, but you shall never get +that which is not for you to have." And she +hastened away without another word.</p> + +<p>Kalipada went out. Bhavani Charan was still +smoking his hookah. Noticing Kalipada from a distance +he got up and walked in the opposite direction +as if he had some urgent business. Kalipada ran to +him and said,—"But that doll?" Bhavani could +not raise a smile that day. He put his arm round +Kalipada's neck and said: +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Baba, wait a little. I have some pressing business +to get through. Let me finish it first, and then +we will talk about it." Saying this, he went out of +his house.</p> + +<p>Kalipada saw him brush a tear from his eyes. +He stood at the door and watched his father, and +it was quite evident, even to this boy, that he was +going nowhere in particular, and that he was dragging +the weight of a despair which could not be relieved.</p> + +<p>Kalipada at once went back to his mother and +said:</p> + +<p>"Mother, I don't want that foreign doll."</p> + +<p>That morning Bhavani Charan returned late. +When he sat down to his meal, after his bath, it was +quite evident, by the look on his face, that the curds +and the milk pudding would fare no better with him +than on the day before, and that the best part of +the fish would go to the cat.</p> + +<p>Just at this critical juncture Rashmani brought in +a card-board box, bound round with twine, and set +it before her husband. Her intention had been to +reveal the mystery of this packet to her husband +when he went to take his nap after his meal. But in +order to remove the undeserved neglect of the curds +and the milk and the fish, she had to disclose its contents +before the time. So the foreign doll came +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> +out of the box and without more ado began to fan +itself vigorously.</p> + +<p>After this, the cat had to go away disappointed. +Bhavani remarked to his wife that the cooking was +the best he had ever tasted. The fish <a id="t_soup"></a><a href="#idx_soup" class="indx">soup</a> was incomparable: +the curds had set themselves with an +exactness that was rarely attained, and the milk +pudding was superb.</p> + +<p>On the seventh day of the moon, Kalipada got the +toy for which he had been pining. During the whole +of that day he allowed the foreigner to go on fanning +herself and thereby made his boy companions jealous. +In any other case this performance would have +seemed to him monotonously tiresome, but knowing +that on the following day he would have to give +the toy back, his constancy to it on that single occasion +remained unabated. At the rental of two +rupees per diem Rashmani had hired it from +Bagala.</p> + +<p>On the eighth day of the moon, Kalipada heaved +a deep sigh and returned the toy, along with the box +and twine, to Bagala with his own hands. From +that day forward Kalipada began to share the confidences +of his mother, and it became so absurdly easy +for Bhavani to give expensive presents every year, +that it surprised even himself.</p> + +<p>When, with the help of his mother, Kalipada came +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> +to know that nothing in this world could be gained +without paying for it with the inevitable price of +suffering, he rapidly grew up in his mind and became +a valued assistant to his mother in her daily tasks. +It come to be a natural rule of life with him that +no one should add to the burden of the world, but +that each should try to lighten it.</p> + +<p>When Kalipada won a scholarship at the +Vernacular examination, Bhavani proposed that he +should give up his studies and take in hand the supervision +of the estate. Kalipada went to his mother +and said,—"I shall never be a man, if I do not +complete my education."</p> + +<p>The mother said,—"You are right, Baba, you +must go to Calcutta."</p> + +<p>Kalipada explained to her that it would not be +necessary to spend a single pice on him; his scholarship +would be sufficient, and he would try to get some +work to supplement it.</p> + +<p>But it was necessary to convince Bhavani of the +wisdom of the course. Rashmani did not wish to +employ the argument that there was very little of +the estate remaining to require supervision; for she +knew how it would hurt him. She said that Kalipada +must become a man whom everyone could +respect. But all the members of the Chowdhuri +family had attained their respectability without ever +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> +going a step outside the limits of Saniari. The +outer world was as unknown to them as the world +beyond the grave. Bhavani, therefore, could not +conceive how anybody could think of a boy like Kalipada +going to Calcutta. But the cleverest man in +the village, Bagala, fortunately agreed with Rashmani.</p> + +<p>"It is perfectly clear," he said, "that, one day, +Kalipada will become a lawyer; and then he will set +matters right concerning the property of which the +family has been deprived."</p> + +<p>This was a great consolation to Bhavani Charan +and he brought out the file of records about the theft +of the will and tried to explain the whole thing to +Kalipada by dint of daily discussion. But his son +was lacking in proper enthusiasm and merely echoed +his father's sentiment about this solemn wrong.</p> + +<p>The day before Kalipada's departure for Calcutta +Rashmani hung round his neck an amulet containing +some mantras to protect him from evils. She gave +him at the same time a fifty-rupee currency note, +advising him to keep it for any special emergency. +This note, which was the symbol of his mother's +numberless daily acts of self-denial, was the truest +amulet of all for Kalipada. He determined to keep +it by him and never to spend it, whatever might +happen. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> + +<h3>III</h3> + +<p>From this time onward the old interminable discussions +about the theft of the will became less frequent +on the part of Bhavani. His one topic of +conversation was the marvellous adventure of Kalipada +in search of his education. Kalipada was +actually engaged in his studies in the city of Calcutta! +Kalipada knew Calcutta as well as the palm +of his hand! Kalipada had been the first to hear +the great news that another bridge was going to be +built over the Ganges near Hughli! The day on +which the father received his son's letter, he would +go to every house in the village to read it to his +neighbours and he would hardly find time even to take +his spectacles from his nose. On arriving at a +fresh house he would remove them from their case +with the utmost deliberation; then he would wipe +them carefully with the end of his <i>dhoti</i>; then, word +by word, he would slowly read the letter through to +one neighbour after another, with something like the +following comment:—</p> + +<p>"Brother, just listen! What <i>is</i> the world coming +to? Even the dogs and the jackals are to cross the +holy Ganges without washing the dust from their +feet! Who could imagine such a sacrilege?"</p> + +<p>No doubt it was very deplorable; but all the same +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> +it gave Bhavani Charan a peculiar pleasure to communicate +at first hand such important news from his +own son's letter, and this more than compensated for +the spiritual disaster which must surely overtake the +numberless creatures of this present age. To everyone +he met he solemnly nodded his head and prophesied +that the days were soon coming when Mother +Ganges would disappear altogether; all the while +cherishing the hope that the news of such a momentous +event would come to him by letter from his own +son in the proper time.</p> + +<p>Kalipada, with very great difficulty, scraped +together just enough money to pay his expenses till +he passed his Matriculation and again won a +scholarship. Bhavani at once made up his mind to +invite all the village to a feast, for he imagined that +his son's good ship of fortune had now reached its +haven and there would be no more occasion for +economy. But he received no encouragement from +Rashmani.</p> + +<p>Kalipada was fortunate enough to secure a place +of study in a students' lodging house near his college. +The proprietor allowed him to occupy a small room +on the ground floor which was absolutely useless +for other lodgers. In exchange for this and his +board, he had to coach the son of the owner of the +house. The one great advantage was that there +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> +would be no chance of any fellow lodger ever sharing +his quarters. So, although ventilation was lacking, +his studies were uninterrupted.</p> + +<p>Those of the students who paid their rent and +lived in the upper story had no concern with Kalipada; +but soon it became painfully evident that those +who are up above have the power to hurl missiles at +those below with all the more deadly force because +of their distance. The leader of those above was +Sailen.</p> + +<p>Sailen was the scion of a rich family. It was +unnecessary for him to live in a students' mess, but +he successfully convinced his guardians that this +would be best for his studies. The real reason was +that Sailen was naturally fond of company, and the +students' lodging house was an ideal place where he +could have all the pleasure of companionship without +any of its responsibilities. It was the firm conviction +of Sailen that he was a good fellow and a +man of feeling. The advantage of harbouring such +a conviction was that it needed no proof in practice. +Vanity is not like a horse or an elephant requiring +expensive fodder.</p> + +<p>Nevertheless, as Sailen had plenty of money he +did not allow his vanity merely to graze at large; he +took special pride in keeping it stall-fed. It must +be said to his credit that he had a genuine desire +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> +to help people in their need, but the desire in him +was of such a character, that if a man in difficulty +refused to come to him for help, he would turn +round on him and do his best to add to his trouble. +His mess mates had their <a id="t_ticket"></a><a href="#idx_ticket" class="indx">ticket</a>s for the theatre +bought for them by Sailen, and it cost them nothing +to have occasional feasts. They could borrow +money from him without meaning to pay it back. +When a newly married youth was in doubt about the +choice of some gift for his wife, he could fully rely +on Sailen's good taste in the matter. On these occasions +the love-lorn youth would take Sailen to the +shop and pretend to select the cheapest and least +suitable presents: then Sailen, with a contemptuous +laugh would intervene and select the right thing. At +the mention of the price the young husband would +pull a long face, but Sailen would always be ready +to abide by his own superior choice and to pay the +cost.</p> + +<p>In this manner Sailen became the acknowledged +patron of the students upstairs. It made him intolerant +of the insolence of any one who refused to +accept his help. Indeed, to help others in this way +had become his hobby.</p> + +<p>Kalipada, in his tattered <a id="t_jersey"></a><a href="#idx_jersey" class="indx">jersey</a>, used to sit on a +dirty mat in his damp room below and recite his +lessons, swinging himself from side to side to the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> +rhythm of the sentence. It was a sheer necessity +for him to get that scholarship next year.</p> + +<p>Kalipada's mother had made him promise, before +he left home for Calcutta that he would avoid the +company of rich young men. Therefore he bore +the burden of his indigence alone, strictly keeping +himself from those who had been more favoured by +fortune. But to Sailen, it seemed a sheer <a id="t_impertinence"></a><a href="#idx_impertinence" class="indx">impertinence</a> +that a student as poor as Kalipada should yet +have the pride to keep away from his patronage. +Besides this, in his food and dress and everything, +Kalipada's poverty was so blatantly exposed, it +hurt Sailen's sense of decency. Every time he +looked down into Kalipada's room, he was offended +by the sight of the cheap clothing, the dingy <a id="t_mosquito"></a><a href="#idx_mosquito" class="indx">mosquito</a> +net and the tattered bedding. Whenever he passed +on his way to his own room in the upper story the +sight of these things was unavoidable. To crown +it all there was that absurd amulet which Kalipada +always had hanging round his neck, and those daily +rites of devotion which were so ridiculously out of +fashion!</p> + +<p>One day Sailen and his followers condescended to +invite Kalipada to a feast, thinking that his gratitude +would know no bounds. But Kalipada sent an +answer saying that his habits were different and it +would not be wholesome for him to accept the invitation. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> +Sailen was unaccustomed to such a refusal, +and it roused up in him all the ferocity of his insulted +benevolence. For some days after this, the noise on +the upper story became so loudly insistent that it +was impossible for Kalipada to go on with his +studies. He was compelled to spend the greater +part of his days studying in the Park, and to get up +very early and sit down to his work long before it +was light.</p> + +<p>Owing to his half-starved condition, his mental +overwork, and badly-ventilated room, Kalipada +began to suffer from continual attacks of headache. +There were times when he was obliged to lie down +on his bed for three or four days together. But +he made no mention of his illness in his letters to his +father. Bhavani himself was certain that, just as +vegetation grew rank in his village surroundings, so +comforts of all kinds sprang up of themselves from +the soil of Calcutta. Kalipada never for a moment +disabused his mind of that misconception. He did +not fail to write to his father, even when suffering +from one of these paroxysms of pain. The deliberate +rowdiness of the students in the upper story +added at such times to his distress.</p> + +<p>Kalipada tried to make himself as scarce and small +as possible, in order to avoid notice; but this did not +bring him relief. One day, he found that a cheap +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> +shoe of his own had been taken away and replaced +by an expensive foreign one. It was impossible for +him to go to college with such an incongruous pair. +He made no complaint, however, but bought some +old second-hand shoes from the cobbler. One day, +a student from the upper story came into his room +and asked him:</p> + +<p>"Have you, by any mistake, brought away my +silver cigarette case with you?"</p> + +<p>Kalipada got annoyed and answered:</p> + +<p>"I have never been inside your room in my life."</p> + +<p>The student stooped down. "Hullo!" he said, +"here it is!" And the valuable cigarette case was +picked up from the corner of the room.</p> + +<p>Kalipada determined to leave this lodging house +as soon as ever he had passed his Intermediate Examination, +provided only he could get a scholarship to +enable him to do so.</p> + +<p>Every year the students of the house used to have +their annual Saraswati Puja. Though the greater +part of the expenses fell to the share of Sailen, every +one else contributed according to his means. The +year before, they had contemptuously left out Kalipada +from the list of contributors; but this year, +merely to tease him, they came with their subscription +book. Kalipada instantly paid five rupees to +the fund, though he had no intention of participating +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> +in the feast. His penury had long brought on him +the contempt of his fellow lodgers, but this unexpected +gift of five rupees became to them insufferable. +The Saraswati Puja was performed with great éclat +and the five rupees could easily have been spared. +It had been hard indeed for Kalipada to part with +it. While he took the food given him in his landlord's +house he had no control over the time at which +it was served. Besides this, since the servants +brought him the food, he did not like to criticise the +dishes. He preferred to provide himself with some +extra things; and after the forced extravagance of +his five-rupee subscription he had to forgo all this +and suffered in consequence. His paroxysms of +headache became more frequent, and though he +passed his examination, he failed to obtain the scholarship +that he desired.</p> + +<p>The loss of the scholarship drove Kalipada to do +extra work as a private tutor and to stick to the +same unhealthy room in the lodging house. The +students overhead had hoped that they would be relieved +of his presence. But punctually to the day the +room was unlocked on the lower floor. Kalipada +entered, clad in the same old dirty check Parsee coat. +A coolie from Sealdah Station took down from his +head a steel trunk and other miscellaneous packages +and laid them on the floor of the room; and a long +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> +wrangle ensued as to the proper amount of pice that +were due.</p> + +<p>In the depths of those packages there were mango +chutnies and other condiments which his mother had +specially prepared. Kalipada was aware that, in his +absence, the upper-story students, in search of a jest, +did not <a id="t_scruple"></a><a href="#idx_scruple" class="indx">scruple</a> to come into his room by stealth.</p> + +<p>He was especially anxious to keep these home gifts +from their cruel scrutiny. As tokens of home affection +they were supremely precious to him; but to the +town students, they denoted merely the boorishness +of poverty-stricken villagers. The vessels were +crude and earthen, fastened up by an earthen lid +fixed on with paste of flour. They were neither +glass nor porcelain, and therefore sure to be regarded +with insolent disdain by rich town-bred people.</p> + +<p>Formerly Kalipada used to keep these stores hidden +under his bed, covering them up with old newspapers. +But this time he took the precaution of +always locking up his door, even if he went out for +a few minutes. This still further roused the spleen +of Sailen and his party. It seemed to them preposterous +that the room which was poor enough to draw +tears from the eyes of the most hardened burglar +should be as carefully guarded as if it were a second +Bank of Bengal.</p> + +<p>"Does he actually believe," they said among themselves, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> +"that the temptation will be irresistible for +us to steal that Parsee coat?"</p> + +<p>Sailen had never visited this dark and mildewed +room from which the plaster was dropping. The +glimpses that he had taken, while going up-stairs,—especially +when, in the evening, Kalipada, the upper +part of his body bare, would sit poring over his +books with a smoky lamp beside him,—were +enough to give him a sense of suffocation. Sailen +asked his boon companions to explore the room +below and find out the treasure which Kalipada had +hidden. Everybody felt intensely amused at the +proposal.</p> + +<p>The lock on Kalipada's door was a cheap one, +which had the magnanimity to lend itself to any key. +One evening when Kalipada had gone out to his +private tuition, two or three of the students with an +<a id="t_exuberant"></a><a href="#idx_exuberant" class="indx">exuberant</a> sense of humour took a lantern and unlocked +the room and entered. It did not need a +moment to discover the pots of chutney under the +bed, but these hardly seemed valuable enough to +demand such watchful care on the part of Kalipada. +A further search disclosed a key on a ring under the +pillow. They opened the steel trunk with the key +and found a few soiled clothes, books and writing +material. They were about to shut the box in disgust +when they saw, at the very bottom, a packet +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> +covered by a dirty <a id="t_handkerchief"></a><a href="#idx_handkerchief" class="indx">handkerchief</a>. On uncovering +three or four wrappers they found a currency note +of fifty rupees. This made them burst out into +peals of laughter. They felt certain that Kalipada +was harbouring suspicion against the whole world +in his mind because of this fifty rupees!</p> + +<p>The meanness of this suspicious precaution deepened +the intensity of their contempt for Kalipada. +Just then, they heard a foot-step outside. They +hastily shut the box, locked the door, and ran upstairs +with the note in their possession.</p> + +<p>Sailen was vastly amused. Though fifty rupees +was a mere trifle, he could never have believed that +Kalipada had so much money in his trunk. They +all decided to watch the result of this loss upon that +queer creature downstairs.</p> + +<p>When Kalipada came home that night after his +tuition was over, he was too tired to notice any disorder +in his room. One of his worst attacks of +nervous headache was coming on and he went +straight to bed.</p> + +<p>The next day, when he brought out his trunk from +under the bed and took out his clothes, he found it +open. He was naturally careful, but it was not +unlikely, he thought, that he had forgotten to lock +it on the day before. But when he lifted the lid he +found all the contents <a id="t_topsy-turvy"></a><a href="#idx_topsy-turvy" class="indx">topsy-turvy</a>, and his heart gave +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> +a great thud when he discovered that the note, given +to him by his mother, was missing. He searched +the box over and over again in the vain hope of +finding it, and when his loss was made certain, he +flung himself upon his bed and lay like one dead.</p> + +<p>Just then, he heard footsteps following one another +on the stairs, and every now and then an outburst +of laughter from the upper room. It struck +him, all of a sudden, that this was not a theft: Sailen +and his party must have taken the note to amuse +themselves and make laughter out of it. It would +have given him less pain if a thief had stolen it. It +seemed to him that these young men had laid their +impious hands upon his mother herself.</p> + +<p>This was the first time that Kalipada had ascended +those stairs. He ran to the upper floor,—the old +jersey on his shoulders,—his face flushed with anger +and the pain of his illness. As it was Sunday, Sailen +and his company were seated in the verandah, laughing +and talking. Without any warning, Kalipada +burst upon them and shouted:</p> + +<p>"Give me back my note!"</p> + +<p>If he had begged it of them, they would have +relented; but the sight of his anger made them +furious. They started up from their chairs and +exclaimed: +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p> + +<p>"What do you mean, sir? What do you mean? +What note?"</p> + +<p>Kalipada shouted: "The note you have taken +from my box!"</p> + +<p>"How dare you?" they shouted back. "Do you +take us to be thieves?"</p> + +<p>If Kalipada had held any weapon in his hand at +that moment he certainly would have killed some one +among them. But when he was about to spring, +they fell on him, and four or five of them dragged +him down to his room and thrust him inside.</p> + +<p>Sailen said to his companions: "Here, take this +hundred-rupee note, and throw it to that <i>dog</i>!"</p> + +<p>They all loudly exclaimed: "No! Let him +climb down first and give us a written apology. +Then we shall consider it!"</p> + +<p>Sailen's party all went to bed at the proper time +and slept the sleep of the innocent. In the morning +they had almost forgotten Kalipada. But some of +them, while passing his room, heard the sound of talking +and they thought that possibly he was busy consulting +some lawyer. The door was shut from the +inside. They tried to overhear, but what they heard +had nothing legal about it. It was quite incoherent.</p> + +<p>They informed Sailen. He came down and stood +with his ear close to the door. The only thing that +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> +could be distinctly heard was the word 'Father.' +This frightened Sailen. He thought that possibly +Kalipada had gone mad on account of the grief of +losing that fifty-rupee note. Sailen shouted "Kalipada +Babu!" two or three times, but got no answer. +Only that muttering sound continued. Sailen called,—"Kalipada +Babu,—please open the door. Your +note has been found." But still the door was not +opened and that muttering sound went on.</p> + +<p>Sailen had never anticipated such a result as this. +He did not express a word of repentance to his followers, +but he felt the sting of it all the same. Some +advised him to break open the door: others thought +that the police should be called in,—for Kalipada +might be in a dangerous state of <a id="t_lunacy"></a><a href="#idx_lunacy" class="indx">lunacy</a>. Sailen at +once sent for a doctor who lived close at hand. +When they burst open the door they found the +bedding hanging from the bed and Kalipada lying +on the floor unconscious. He was tossing about and +throwing up his arms and muttering, with his eyes +red and open and his face all flushed. The doctor +examined him and asked if there were any relative +near at hand; for the case was serious.</p> + +<p>Sailen answered that he knew nothing, but would +make inquiries. The doctor then advised the removal +of the patient at once to an upstairs room and +proper nursing arrangements day and night. Sailen +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> +took him up to his own room and dismissed his followers. +He got some ice and put it on Kalipada's +head and began to fan him with his own hand.</p> + +<p>Kalipada, fearing that mocking references would +be made, had concealed the names and address of his +parents from these people with special care. So +Sailen had no alternative but to open his box. He +found two bundles of letters tied up with ribbon. +One of them contained his mother's letters, the other +contained his father's. His mother's letters were +fewer in number than his father's. Sailen closed the +door and began to read the letters. He was startled +when he saw the address,—Saniari, the house of the +Chowdhuries,—and then the name of the father, +Bhavani. He folded up the letters and sat still, +gazing at Kalipada's face. Some of his friends had +casually mentioned, that there was a resemblance +between Kalipada and himself. But he was offended +at the remark and did not believe it. To-day he +discovered the truth. He knew that his own grandfather, +Shyama Charan, had a step-brother named +Bhavani; but the later history to the family had remained +a secret to him. He did not even know that +Bhavani had a son named Kalipada; and he never +suspected that Bhavani had come to such an abject +state of poverty as this. He now felt not only relieved, +but proud of his own relative, Kalipada, that +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> +he had refused to enter himself on the list of protégés.</p> + +<h3>IV</h3> + +<p>Knowing that his party had insulted Kalipada almost +every day, Sailen felt reluctant to keep him in +the lodging house with them. So he rented another +suitable house and kept him there. Bhavani came +down in haste to Calcutta the moment he received a +letter from Sailen informing him of his son's illness. +Rashmani parted with all her savings giving instructions +to her husband to spare no expense upon her +son. It was not considered proper for the daughters +of the great Chowdhuri family to leave their +home and go to Calcutta unless absolutely obliged, +and therefore she had to remain behind offering +prayers to all the tutelary gods. When Bhavani +Charan arrived he found Kalipada still unconscious +and delirious. It nearly broke Bhavani's heart +when he heard himself called 'Master Mashai.' +Kalipada often called him in his delirium and he +tried to make himself recognized by his son, but in +vain.</p> + +<p>The doctor came again and said the fever was +getting less. He thought the case was taking a more +favourable turn. For Bhavani, it was an impossibility +to imagine that his son would not recover. He +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> +<i>must</i> live: it was his destiny to live. Bhavani was +much struck with the behaviour of Sailen. It was +difficult to believe that he was not of their own kith +and kin. He supposed all this kindness to be due to +the town training which Sailen had received. Bhavani +spoke to Sailen disparagingly of the country +habits which village people like himself got into.</p> + +<p>Gradually the fever went down and Kalipada recovered +consciousness. He was astonished beyond +measure when he saw his father sitting in the room +beside him. His first anxiety was lest he should +discover the miserable state in which he had been +living. But what would be harder still to bear was, +if his father with his rustic manners became the butt +of the people upstairs. He looked round him, but +could not recognize his own room and wondered if +he had been dreaming. But he found himself too +weak to think.</p> + +<p>He supposed that it had been his father who had +removed him to this better lodging, but he had no +power to calculate how he could possibly bear the +expense. The only thing that concerned him at that +moment was that he felt he must live, and for that +he had a claim upon the world.</p> + +<p>Once when his father was absent Sailen came in +with a plate of grapes in his hand. Kalipada could +not understand this at all and wondered if there was +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> +some practical joke behind it. He at once became +excited and wondered how he could save his father +from annoyance. Sailen set the plate down on the +table and touched Kalipada's feet humbly and said: +"My offence has been great: pray forgive me."</p> + +<p>Kalipada started and sat up on his bed. He could +see that Sailen's repentance was sincere and he was +greatly moved.</p> + +<p>When Kalipada had first come to the students' +lodging house he had felt strongly drawn towards +this handsome youth. He never missed a chance of +looking at his face when Sailen passed by his room +on his way upstairs. He would have given all the +world to be friends with him, but the barrier was +too great to overcome. Now to-day when Sailen +brought him the grapes and asked his forgiveness, +he silently looked at his face and silently accepted +the grapes which spoke of his repentance.</p> + +<p>It amused Kalipada greatly when he noticed the +intimacy that had sprung up between his father and +Sailen. Sailen used to call Bhavani Charan "grandfather" +and exercised to the full the grandchild's +privilege of joking with him. The principal object +of the jokes was the absent "grandmother." Sailen +made the confession that he had taken the opportunity +of Kalipada's illness to steal all the delicious +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> +chutnies which his "grandmother" had made with +her own hand. The news of his act of "thieving" +gave Kalipada very great joy. He found it easy +to deprive himself, if he could find any one who could +appreciate the good things made by his mother. +Thus this time of his convalescence became the happiest +period in the whole of Kalipada's life.</p> + +<p>There was only one flaw in this unalloyed happiness. +Kalipada had a fierce pride in his poverty +which prevented him ever speaking about his family's +better days. Therefore when his father used to +talk of his former prosperity Kalipada winced. +Bhavani could not keep to himself the one great event +of his life,—the theft of that will which he was +absolutely certain that he would some day recover. +Kalipada had always regarded this as a kind of +mania of his father's, and in collusion with his mother +he had often humoured his father concerning this +amiable weakness. But he shrank in shame when +his father talked about this to Sailen. He noticed +particularly that Sailen did not relish such conversation +and that he often tried to prove, with a certain +amount of feeling, its absurdity. But Bhavani, +who was ready to give in to others in matters much +more serious, in this matter was adamant. Kalipada +tried to pacify him by saying that there was no great +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> +need to worry about it, because those who were enjoying +its benefit were almost the same as his own +children, since they were his nephews.</p> + +<p>Such talk Sailen could not bear for long and he +used to leave the room. This pained Kalipada, because +he thought that Sailen might get quite a wrong +conception of his father and imagine him to be a +grasping worldly old man. Sailen would have revealed +his own relationship to Kalipada and his +father long before, but this discussion about the theft +of the will prevented him. It was hard for him to +believe that his grandfather or father had stolen +the will; on the other hand he could not but think +that some cruel injustice had been done in depriving +Bhavani of his share of the ancestral property. +Therefore he gave up arguing when the subject was +brought forward and took some occasion to leave +as soon as possible.</p> + +<p>Though Kalipada still had headaches in the evening, +with a slight rise in temperature, he did not +take it at all seriously. He became anxious to resume +his studies because he felt it would be a calamity +to him if he again missed his scholarship. He secretly +began to read once more, without taking any +notice of the strict orders of the doctor. Kalipada +asked his father to return home, assuring him that +he was in the best of health. Bhavani had been +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> +all his life fed and nourished and cooked for by +his wife; he was pining to get back. He did not +therefore wait to be pressed.</p> + +<p>On the morning of his intended departure, when +he went to say good-bye to Kalipada, he found him +very ill indeed, his face red with fever and his whole +body burning. He had been committing to memory +page after page of his text book of Logic half +through the night, and for the remainder he could +not sleep at all. The doctor took Sailen aside. +"This relapse," he said, "is fatal." Sailen came +to Bhavani and said, "The patient requires a +mother's nursing: she must be brought to Calcutta."</p> + +<p>It was evening when Rashmani came, and she +only saw her son alive for a few hours. Not knowing +how her husband could survive such a terrible +shock she altogether suppressed her own sorrow. +Her son was merged in her husband again, and she +took up this burden of the dead and the living on +her own aching heart. She said to her God,—"It +is too much for me to bear." But she did bear it.</p> + +<h3>V</h3> + +<p>It was midnight. With the very weariness of +her sorrow Rashmani had fallen asleep soon after +reaching her own home in the village. But Bhavani +had no sleep that night. Tossing on his bed for +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> +hours he heaved a deep sigh saying,—"Merciful +God!" Then he got up from his bed and went out. +He entered the room where Kalipada had been wont +to do his lessons in his childhood. The lamp shook +as he held it in his hand. On the wooden settle +there was still the torn, ink-stained quilt, made long +ago by Rashmani herself. On the wall were figures +of <a id="t_Euclid"></a><a href="#idx_Euclid" class="indx">Euclid</a> and <a id="t_algebra"></a><a href="#idx_algebra" class="indx">Algebra</a> drawn in charcoal. The remains +of a Royal Reader No. III and a few exercise +books were lying about; and the one odd slipper of +his infancy, which had evaded notice so long, was +keeping its place in the dusty obscurity of the corner +of the room. To-day it had become so important +that nothing in the world, however great, could +keep it hidden any longer. Bhavani put the lamp +in the niche on the wall and silently sat on the settle; +his eyes were dry, but he felt choked as if with want +of breath.</p> + +<p>Bhavani opened the shutters on the eastern side +and stood still, grasping the iron bars, gazing into +the darkness. Through the drizzling rain he could +see the outline of the clump of trees at the end of +the outer wall. At this spot Kalipada had made +his own garden. The passion flowers which he had +planted with his own hand had grown densely thick. +While he gazed at this Bhavani felt his heart come +up into his throat with choking pain. There was +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> +nobody now to wait for and expect daily. The summer +vacation had come, but no one would come back +home to fill the vacant room and use its old familiar +furniture.</p> + +<p>"O Baba mine!" he cried, "O Baba! O Baba +mine!"</p> + +<p>He sat down. The rain came faster. A sound +of footsteps was heard among the grass and withered +leaves. Bhavani's heart stood still. He +hoped it was ... that which was beyond all +hope. He thought it was Kalipada himself come +to see his own garden,—and in this downpour of +rain how wet he would be! Anxiety about this made +him restless. Then somebody stood for a moment +in front of the iron window bars. The cloak round +his head made it impossible for Bhavani to see his +face clearly, but his height was the same as that of +Kalipada.</p> + +<p>"Darling!" cried Bhavani, "You have come!" +and he rushed to open the door.</p> + +<p>But when he came outside to the spot where the +figure had stood, there was no one to be seen. He +walked up and down in the garden through the +drenching rain, but no one was there. He stood +still for a moment raising his voice and calling,—"Kalipada," +but no answer came. The servant, +Noto, who was sleeping in the cowshed, heard his +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> +cry and came out and coaxed him back to his room.</p> + +<p>Next day, in the morning, Noto, while sweeping +the room found a bundle just underneath the grated +window. He brought it to Bhavani who opened it +and found it was an old document. He put on his +spectacles and after reading a few lines came rushing +in to Rashmani and gave the paper into her hand.</p> + +<p>Rashmani asked, "What is it?"</p> + +<p>Bhavani replied, "It is the will!"</p> + +<p>"Who gave it you?"</p> + +<p>"He himself came last night to give it to me."</p> + +<p>"What are you going to do with it?"</p> + +<p>Bhavani said: "I have no need of it now." +And he tore the will to pieces.</p> + +<p>When the news reached the village Bagala proudly +nodded his head and said: "Didn't I prophesy +that the will would be recovered through Kalipada?"</p> + +<p>But the grocer Ramcharan replied: "Last night +when the ten o'clock train reached the Station a +handsome looking young man came to my shop and +asked the way to the Chowdhuri's house and I +thought he had some kind of bundle in his hand."</p> + +<p>"Absurd," said Bagala.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_detailed"></a><a href="#t_detailed" class="indx">detailed</a>.</b> From the French "tailler," to cut. Compare +<i>tailor</i>, <i>entail</i>, <i>retail</i>. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_patrimony"></a><a href="#t_patrimony" class="indx">patrimony</a>.</b> From the Latin "pater," a father. Compare +<i>paternal</i>, <i>patriarch</i>, <i>patriot</i>. The ending -mony is from +the Latin -monium. Compare <i>testimony</i>, <i>matrimony</i>, +<i>sanctimony</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_revert"></a><a href="#t_revert" class="indx">revert</a>.</b> From the Latin "vertere," to turn. Compare +<i>convert</i>, <i>subvert</i>, <i>divert</i>, <i>invert</i>, <i>advert</i>, <i>version</i>, <i>conversion</i>, +<i>adverse</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_amazement"></a><a href="#t_amazement" class="indx">amazement</a>.</b> This word is of doubtful origin. We have +the simpler form "maze" but do not know how it has +come into English.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_preposterous"></a><a href="#t_preposterous" class="indx">preposterous</a>.</b> The Latin word "pre" means "before," +and the Latin word "posterus" behind. The literal +meaning, therefore, is "before-behind" and so "absurd," +"outrageous."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_treachery"></a><a href="#t_treachery" class="indx">treachery</a>.</b> This comes from the Old French "treacher," +to trick. It is to be distinguished from the word +"traitor," which comes from the Latin "traditor," one +who gives up another. Compare <i>intricate</i>, <i>trickery</i>, +<i>trick</i>, <i>intrigue</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_parasites"></a><a href="#t_parasites" class="indx">parasites</a>.</b> From the Greek word "sitos," food,—one who +feeds on another.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_property"></a><a href="#t_property" class="indx">property</a>.</b> From the Latin "proprius," meaning "one's +own." Compare <i>proper</i>, <i>appropriate</i>, <i>improper</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_haggle"></a><a href="#t_haggle" class="indx">haggle</a>.</b> This is an Old Norwegian word which has come +into English, meaning literally to chop.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_good-for-nothing"></a><a href="#t_good-for-nothing" class="indx">good-for-nothing</a>.</b> Such "phrase" words as these are not +very common in English. They are more common in +French. Compare the English <i>ne'er-do-well</i>, <i>lazybones</i>, +<i>out-of-the-way</i>, and the French <i>coup-d'état</i>, <i>nom-de-plume</i>, +<i>fin-de-siécle</i>. On the other hand, adjectives +made up of two words are quite common in English. +Compare <i>simple-hearted</i>, <i>middle-aged.</i></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_regime"></a><a href="#t_regime" class="indx">régime</a>.</b> This word still retains its French form and accent +and pronunciation. Little by little such French words +become pronounced and spelt in an English form and +take a permanent place in the language. For instance, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> +the French word "morale" with accent on the last +syllable is now becoming a common English word. In +time it will probably be accented on the first syllable +like ordinary English words and will drop its final "e."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_gap"></a><a href="#t_gap" class="indx">gap</a>.</b> This is another Old Norwegian word meaning a +wide opening. Compare <i>gape</i>. These Norwegian +words came into English somewhat plentifully at the +time of the Danish Conquest.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_sympathy"></a><a href="#t_sympathy" class="indx">sympathy</a>.</b> From the Greek "syn" with, and "pathos" +suffering. It should be noted that the word "compassion" +from the Latin "cum" with, and "passio" suffering, +has the same root meaning, viz. "suffering <i>with</i> +another."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_law_suit"></a><a href="#t_law_suit" class="indx">law-suit</a>.</b> The English word "suit" comes from the Latin +"sequi," to follow, which in French becomes "suivre." +We have two English forms, one form directly from +the Latin, the other from the French. From the Latin +<i>prosecute</i>, <i>persecute</i>, <i>consecutive</i>, <i>execute</i>. From the +French <i>pursue</i>, <i>ensue</i>, <i>sue</i>.<br /> +<span class="types">A "suit" in a game of cards means the cards that +follow one another in a sequence.</span><br /> +<span class="types">A "suit" of clothes means the trousers, coat, waistcoat, +following the same pattern. Compare also the +French word <i>suite</i> which has now been taken into English, +e.g. a <i>suite</i> of rooms, a <i>suite</i> of furniture (pronounced +like "sweet").</span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_incoherence"></a><a href="#t_incoherence" class="indx">incoherence</a>.</b> From the Latin "haerere," to stick. Compare +<i>adhere</i>, <i>cohere</i>, <i>inherent</i>, <i>coherence</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_foreign"></a><a href="#t_foreign" class="indx">foreign</a>.</b> From the Old French "forain," out of doors. +The letter "g" has become wrongly inserted in this +word as also in "sovereign."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_bargain"></a><a href="#t_bargain" class="indx">bargain</a>.</b> From the late Latin "barca," a boat, because +trade was carried on by boats along the rivers. Compare +<i>barque</i>, <i>barge</i>, <i>bark</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_husky"></a><a href="#t_husky" class="indx">husky</a>.</b> From the noun husk,—as dry as a husk.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_shawl"></a><a href="#t_shawl" class="indx">shawl</a>.</b> From the Persian word "shāl." A considerable +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> +number of words are coming into use in English now +from the East. One of the most curious recent ones is +Blighty which is a corruption of wilayati, bilaiti. For +words introduced into English compare <i>karma</i>, <i>sanyasi</i>, +<i>fakir</i>, <i>brahmin</i>, <i>ghat</i>, <i>puggaree</i>, <i>pyjama</i>, <i>pucca</i>, <i>curry</i>, +<i>chutney</i>, <i>chintz</i>, <i>cummerbund</i>, <i>khaki</i>, <i>rupee</i>, <i>durrie</i>, <i>turban</i>, +<i>sepoy</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_doll"></a><a href="#t_doll" class="indx">doll</a>.</b> This is a shortened form of the English girl's name +Dorothy, Dolly, Doll. Compare <i>poll-parrot</i> from +Polly or Poll.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_soup"></a><a href="#t_soup" class="indx">soup</a>.</b> This word still retains its French form, without the +final "e" (French <i>soupe</i>), but the English words <i>sup</i>, +<i>supper</i> have dropped their French spelling altogether.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_ticket"></a><a href="#t_ticket" class="indx">ticket</a>.</b> From the Old French "estiquette," meaning something +fixed like a bill on the wall. (Compare the English +word to "stick" which comes from the same root.)<br /> +<span class="types">We have here a case of a French word branching off +into two quite distinct English words,—"etiquette" +and "ticket," each having its own meaning.</span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_jersey"></a><a href="#t_jersey" class="indx">jersey</a>.</b> One of the islands in the English Channel called +Jersey first made this special form of woollen vest. +Many English words are thus taken from the names of +places. Compare <i>currant</i> (Corinth), <i>argosy</i> (Ragusa), +<i>calico</i> (Calicut), <i>bronze</i> (Brundusium), <i>gipsy</i> (Egyptian), +<i>cashmere</i> (Kashmir).</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_impertinence"></a><a href="#t_impertinence" class="indx">impertinence</a>.</b> Originally this word means that which is +not "pertinent," and so something "out-of-place." +Later on it got the present meaning of something insolent.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_mosquito"></a><a href="#t_mosquito" class="indx">mosquito</a>.</b> From the Spanish. The word is the diminutive +of the Latin "musca," a fly.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_scruple"></a><a href="#t_scruple" class="indx">scruple</a>.</b> From the Latin "scrupulus," a small sharp stone. +This word meant first in English a very small weight +of twenty grains; then it came to mean a slight weight +on the mind or conscience. In the Trial Scene of +Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice we have the original +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> +sense used,—"the twentieth part of one poor scruple."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_exuberant"></a><a href="#t_exuberant" class="indx">exuberant</a>.</b> From the Latin "uber," udder. Thus it +comes to mean "flowing from the udder" and so "overflowing."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_handkerchief"></a><a href="#t_handkerchief" class="indx">handkerchief</a>.</b> "Kerchief" came from two French words +"couvre," to cover, and "chef," the head. It meant a +head cloth. Then a smaller cloth was used in the hand +and this was called a hand-kerchief.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_lunacy"></a><a href="#t_lunacy" class="indx">lunacy</a>.</b> From the Latin "luna," the moon. In former +times Europeans used to think that madness was due +to some influence of the moon. Compare the word +<i>moonstruck</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_algebra"></a><a href="#t_algebra" class="indx">algebra</a>.</b> This is one of the many words from Arabic beginning +with "al," the. Compare <i>alkali</i>, <i>albatross</i>, <i>alcohol</i>, +<i>alembic</i>, <i>alchemy</i>, <i>alcove</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_Euclid"></a><a href="#t_Euclid" class="indx">Euclid</a>.</b> This word was originally the name of a great +Greek mathematical writer. His writings were called +"Books of Euclid." Now the subject is usually called +Geometry.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_absurd"></a><a href="#t_absurd" class="indx">absurd</a>.</b> From the Latin "surdus," deaf. Deaf people +generally appear stupid to those who can hear. So this +word has come to mean foolish or ridiculous.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_topsy-turvy"></a><a href="#t_topsy-turvy" class="indx">topsy-turvy</a>.</b> This probably is a shortened form of topside-turvy,—"turvy" +being a colloquial corruption for +"turned" or "turned over."</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p class="prechap">THE BABUS OF NAYANJORE</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="X"></a>X<br /> +<br /> +THE BABUS OF NAYANJORE</h2> + +<h3>I</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time the Babus at Nayanjore were +famous <a id="t_landholder"></a><a href="#idx_landholder" class="indx">landholders</a>. They were noted for their +princely extravagance. They would tear off the +rough border of their Dacca muslin, because it +rubbed against their delicate skin. They could spend +many thousands of rupees over the wedding of a +kitten. And on a certain grand occasion it is alleged +that in order to turn night into day they lighted +numberless lamps and showered silver threads from +the sky to imitate sunlight.</p> + +<p>Those were the days before the flood. The flood +came. The line of succession among these old-world +Babus, with their lordly habits, could not continue +for long. Like a lamp with too many wicks burning, +the oil flared away quickly, and the light went out.</p> + +<p>Kailas Babu, our neighbour, is the last relic of +this <a id="t_extinct"></a><a href="#idx_extinct" class="indx">extinct</a> magnificence. Before he grew up, his +family had very nearly reached its lowest ebb. +When his father died, there was one dazzling outburst +of funeral extravagance, and then insolvency. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> +The property was sold to liquidate the debt. What +little ready money was left over was altogether insufficient +to keep up the past ancestral splendours.</p> + +<p>Kailas Babu left Nayanjore and came to Calcutta. +His son did not remain long in this world of faded +glory. He died, leaving behind him an only daughter.</p> + +<p>In Calcutta we are Kailas Babu's neighbours. +Curiously enough our own family history is just the +opposite of his. My father got his money by his +own exertions, and prided himself on never spending +a penny more than was needed. His clothes +were those of a working man, and his hands also. +He never had any inclination to earn the title of +Babu by extravagant display; and I myself, his only +son, owe him gratitude for that. He gave me the +very best education, and I was able to make my way +in the world. I am not ashamed of the fact that +I am a self-made man. Crisp bank-notes in my safe +are dearer to me than a long pedigree in an empty +family chest.</p> + +<p>I believe this was why I disliked seeing Kailas +Babu drawing his heavy <a id="t_cheque"></a><a href="#idx_cheque" class="indx">cheques</a> on the public credit +from the <a id="t_bankrupt"></a><a href="#idx_bankrupt" class="indx">bankrupt</a> bank of his ancient Babu reputation. +I used to fancy that he looked down on me, +because my father had earned money with his own +hands. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p> + +<p>I ought to have noticed that no one showed any +vexation towards Kailas Babu except myself. Indeed +it would have been difficult to find an old man +who did less harm than he. He was always ready +with his kindly little acts of courtesy in times of +sorrow and joy. He would join in all the ceremonies +and religious observances of his neighbours. +His familiar smile would greet young and old alike. +His politeness in asking details about domestic +affairs was untiring. The friends who met him in +the street were perforce ready to be button-holed, +while a long string of questions of this kind followed +one another from his lips:</p> + +<p>"My dear friend, I am delighted to see you. Are +you quite well? How is Shashi? And Dada—is +he all right? Do you know, I've only just heard +that Madhu's son has got fever. How is he? +Have you heard? And Hari Charan Babu—I +have not seen him for a long time—I hope he is +not ill. What's the matter with Rakkhal? And +er—er, how are the ladies of your family?"</p> + +<p>Kailas Babu was spotlessly neat in his dress on +all occasions, though his supply of clothes was sorely +limited. Every day he used to air his shirts and +vests and coats and trousers carefully, and put them +out in the sun, along with his bed-quilt, his pillowcase, +and the small carpet on which he always sat. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> +After airing them he would shake them, and brush +them, and put them carefully away. His little bits +of furniture made his small room decent, and hinted +that there was more in reserve if needed. Very +often, for want of a servant, he would shut up his +house for a while. Then he would iron out his +shirts and linen with his own hands, and do other +little menial tasks. After this he would open his +door and receive his friends again.</p> + +<p>Though Kailas Babu, as I have said, had lost all +his landed property, he had still some family heirlooms +left. There was a silver cruet for sprinkling +scented water, a <a id="t_filigree"></a><a href="#idx_filigree" class="indx">filigree</a> box for <a id="t_otto-of-roses"></a><a href="#idx_otto-of-roses" class="indx">otto-of-roses</a>, a small +gold salver, a costly ancient shawl, and the old-fashioned +ceremonial dress and ancestral <a id="t_turban"></a><a href="#idx_turban" class="indx">turban</a>. +These he had rescued with the greatest difficulty +from the money-lenders' clutches. On every suitable +occasion he would bring them out in state, and +thus try to save the world-famed dignity of the Babus +of Nayanjore. At heart the most modest of men, +in his daily speech he regarded it as a sacred duty, +owed to his rank, to give free play to his family +pride. His friends would encourage this trait in +his character with kindly good-humour, and it gave +them great amusement.</p> + +<p>The neighbourhood soon learnt to call him their +Thakur Dada. They would flock to his house and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> +sit with him for hours together. To prevent his +incurring any expense, one or other of his friends +would bring him <a id="t_tobacco"></a><a href="#idx_tobacco" class="indx">tobacco</a> and say: "Thakur Dada, +this morning some tobacco was sent to me from Gaya. +Do take it and see how you like it."</p> + +<p>Thakur Dada would take it and say it was excellent. +He would then go on to tell of a certain +exquisite tobacco which they once smoked in the +old days of Nayanjore at the cost of a guinea an +ounce.</p> + +<p>"I wonder," he used to say, "if any one would +like to try it now. I have some left, and can get +it at once."</p> + +<p>Every one knew that, if they asked for it, then +somehow or other the key of the cupboard would +be missing; or else Ganesh, his old family servant, +had put it away somewhere.</p> + +<p>"You never can be sure," he would add, "where +things go to when servants are about. Now, this +Ganesh of mine,—I can't tell you what a fool he is, +but I haven't the heart to dismiss him."</p> + +<p>Ganesh, for the credit of the family, was quite +ready to bear all the blame without a word.</p> + +<p>One of the company usually said at this point: +"Never mind, Thakur Dada. Please don't trouble +to look for it. This tobacco we're smoking will do +quite well. The other would be too strong." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then Thakur Dada would be relieved and settle +down again, and the talk would go on.</p> + +<p>When his guests got up to go away, Thakur Dada +would accompany them to the door and say to them +on the door-step: "Oh, by the way, when are you +all coming to dine with me?"</p> + +<p>One or other of us would answer: "Not just +yet, Thakur Dada, not just yet. We'll fix a day +later."</p> + +<p>"Quite right," he would answer. "Quite right. +We had much better wait till the rains come. It's +too hot now. And a grand rich dinner such as I +should want to give you would upset us in weather +like this."</p> + +<p>But when the rains did come, every one was very +careful not to remind him of his promise. If the +subject was brought up, some friend would suggest +gently that it was very inconvenient to get about +when the rains were so severe, and therefore it would +be much better to wait till they were over. Thus +the game went on.</p> + +<p>Thakur Dada's poor lodging was much too small +for his position, and we used to condole with him +about it. His friends would assure him they quite +understood his difficulties: it was next to impossible +to get a decent house in Calcutta. Indeed, they +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> +had all been looking out for years for a house to +suit him. But, I need hardly add, no friend had +been foolish enough to find one. Thakur Dada +used to say, with a sigh of resignation: "Well, +well, I suppose I shall have to put up with this house +after all." Then he would add with a genial smile: +"But, you know, I could never bear to be away from +my friends. I must be near you. That really compensates +for everything."</p> + +<p>Somehow I felt all this very deeply indeed. I suppose +the real reason was, that when a man is young, +stupidity appears to him the worst of crimes. Kailas +Babu was not really stupid. In ordinary business +matters every one was ready to consult him. But +with regard to Nayanjore his utterances were certainly +void of common sense. Because, out of +amused affection for him, no one contradicted his +impossible statements, he refused to keep them in +bounds. When people recounted in his hearing the +glorious history of Nayanjore with absurd exaggerations, +he would accept all they said with the utmost +gravity, and never doubted, even in his dreams, that +any one could disbelieve it.</p> + +<h3>II</h3> + +<p>When I sit down and try to analyse the thoughts +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> +and feelings that I had towards Kailas Babu, I see +that there was a still deeper reason for my dislike. +I will now explain.</p> + +<p>Though I am the son of a rich man, and might +have wasted time at college, my industry was such +that I took my M.A. degree in Calcutta University +when quite young. My moral character was flawless. +In addition, my outward appearance was so +handsome, that if I were to call myself beautiful, it +might be thought a mark of self-estimation, but could +not be considered an untruth.</p> + +<p>There could be no question that among the young +men of Bengal I was regarded by parents generally +as a very eligible match. I was myself quite clear +on the point and had determined to obtain my full +value in the marriage market. When I pictured my +choice, I had before my mind's eye a wealthy father's +only daughter, extremely beautiful and highly educated. +Proposals came pouring in to me from far +and near; large sums in cash were offered. I +weighed these offers with rigid impartiality in the +delicate scales of my own estimation. But there +was no one fit to be my partner. I became convinced, +with the poet Bhabavuti, that,</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">In this world's endless time and boundless space<br /></span> +<span class="i0">One <i>may</i> be born at last to match my sovereign grace.<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>But in this puny modern age, and this contracted +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> +space of modern Bengal, it was doubtful if the peerless +creature existed as yet.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile my praises were sung in many tunes, +and in different metres, by designing parents.</p> + +<p>Whether I was pleased with their daughters or +not, this worship which they offered was never unpleasing. +I used to regard it as my proper due, because +I was so good. We are told that when the +gods withhold their <a id="t_boon"></a><a href="#idx_boon" class="indx">boons</a> from mortals they still +expect their worshippers to pay them fervent honour +and are angry if it is withheld. I had that divine +expectance strongly developed in myself.</p> + +<p>I have already mentioned that Thakur Dada had +an only grand-daughter. I had seen her many +times, but had never mistaken her for beautiful. No +thought had ever entered my mind that she would +be a possible partner for myself. All the same, it +seemed quite certain to me that some day or other +Kailas Babu would offer her, with all due worship, +as an oblation at my shrine. Indeed—this was +the inner secret of my dislike—I was thoroughly +annoyed that he had not done so already.</p> + +<p>I heard that Thakur Dada had told his friends +that the Babus of Nayanjore never craved a boon. +Even if the girl remained unmarried, he would not +break the family tradition. It was this arrogance +of his that made me angry. My indignation +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> +<a id="t_smoulder"></a><a href="#idx_smoulder" class="indx">smoulder</a>ed for some time. But I remained perfectly +silent and bore it with the utmost patience, because +I was so good.</p> + +<p>As lightning accompanies thunder, so in my character +a flash of humour was mingled with the mutterings +of my wrath. It was, of course, impossible for +me to punish the old man merely to give vent to +my rage; and for a long time I did nothing at all. +But suddenly one day such an amusing plan came +into my head, that I could not resist the temptation +of carrying it into effect.</p> + +<p>I have already said that many of Kailas Babu's +friends used to flatter the old man's vanity to the +full. One, who was a retired Government servant, +had told him that whenever he saw the Chota Lât +Sahib he always asked for the latest news about the +Babus of Nayanjore, and the Chota Lât had been +heard to say that in all Bengal the only really respectable +families were those of the Maharaja of +Cossipore and the Babus of Nayanjore. When this +monstrous falsehood was told to Kailas Babu he was +extremely gratified and often repeated the story. +And wherever after that he met this Government +servant in company he would ask, along with other +questions:</p> + +<p>"Oh! er—by the way, how is the Chota Lât +Sahib? Quite well, did you say? Ah, yes, I am +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> +so delighted to hear it! And the dear Mem Sahib, +is she quite well too? Ah, yes! and the little children—are +they quite well also? Ah, yes! that's very +good news! Be sure and give them my compliments +when you see them."</p> + +<p>Kailas Babu would constantly express his intention +of going some day and paying a visit to the Lord +Sahib. But it may be taken for granted that many +Chota Lâts and Burra Lâts also would come and go, +and much water would pass down the Hoogly, before +the family coach of Nayanjore would be furbished +up to pay a visit to Government House.</p> + +<p>One day I took Kailas Babu aside and told him +in a whisper: "Thakur Dada, I was at the Levee +yesterday, and the Chota Lât Sahib happened to +mention the Babus of Nayanjore. I told him that +Kailas Babu had come to town. Do you know, he +was terribly hurt because you hadn't called. He +told me he was going to put etiquette on one side +and pay you a private visit himself this very afternoon."</p> + +<p>Anybody else could have seen through this plot of +mine in a moment. And, if it had been directed +against another person, Kailas Babu would have +understood the joke. But after all that he had +heard from his friend the Government servant, and +after all his own exaggerations, a visit from the +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> +Lieutenant-Governor seemed the most natural thing +in the world. He became highly nervous and excited +at my news. Each detail of the coming visit +exercised him greatly,—most of all his own ignorance +of English. How on earth was that difficulty +to be met? I told him there was no difficulty at +all: it was aristocratic not to know English: and, +besides, the Lieutenant-Governor always brought an +interpreter with him, and he had expressly mentioned +that this visit was to be private.</p> + +<p>About midday, when most of our neighbours are +at work, and the rest are asleep, a carriage and +pair stopped before the lodging of Kailas Babu. +Two flunkeys in livery came up the stairs, and announced +in a loud voice, "The Chota Lât Sahib has +arrived!" Kailas Babu was ready, waiting for him, +in his old-fashioned ceremonial robes and ancestral +turban, and Ganesh was by his side, dressed in his +master's best suit of clothes for the occasion.</p> + +<p>When the Chota Lât Sahib was announced, Kailas +Babu ran panting and puffing and trembling to the +door, and led in a friend of mine, in disguise, with +repeated salaams, bowing low at each step and walking +backward as best he could. He had his old +family shawl spread over a hard wooden chair and +he asked the Lât Sahib to be seated. He then made +a high-flown speech in Urdu, the ancient Court +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> +language of the Sahibs, and presented on the golden +salver a string of gold <i>mohurs</i>, the last relics of his +broken fortune. The old family servant Ganesh, +with an expression of awe bordering on terror, stood +behind with the scent-sprinkler, drenching the Lât +Sahib, and touched him <a id="t_gingerly"></a><a href="#idx_gingerly" class="indx">gingerly</a> from time to time +with the otto-of-roses from the filigree box.</p> + +<p>Kailas Babu repeatedly expressed his regret at not +being able to receive His Honour Bahadur with all +the ancestral magnificence of his own family estate +at Nayanjore. There he could have welcomed him +properly with due ceremonial. But in Calcutta he +was a mere stranger and sojourner,—in fact a fish +out of water.</p> + +<p>My friend, with his tall silk hat on, very gravely +nodded. I need hardly say that according to English +custom the hat ought to have been removed inside +the room. But my friend did not dare to take +it off for fear of detection: and Kailas Babu and his +old servant Ganesh were sublimely unconscious of +the breach of etiquette.</p> + +<p>After a ten minutes' interview, which consisted +chiefly of nodding the head, my friend rose to his +feet to depart. The two flunkeys in livery, as had +been planned beforehand, carried off in state the +string of gold <i>mohurs</i>, the gold salver, the old ancestral +shawl, the silver scent-sprinkler, and the otto-of-roses +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> +filigree box; they placed them ceremoniously in +the carriage. Kailas Babu regarded this as the +usual habit of Chota Lât Sahibs.</p> + +<p>I was watching all the while from the next room. +My sides were aching with suppressed laughter. +When I could hold myself in no longer, I rushed into +a further room, suddenly to discover, in a corner, a +young girl sobbing as if her heart would break. +When she saw my uproarious laughter she stood +upright in passion, flashing the lightning of her big +dark eyes in mine, and said with a tear-choked voice: +"Tell me! What harm has my grandfather done +to you? Why have you come to deceive him? +Why have you come here? Why——"</p> + +<p>She could say no more. She covered her face +with her hands and broke into sobs.</p> + +<p>My laughter vanished in a moment. It had never +occurred to me that there was anything but a supremely +funny joke in this act of mine, and here I +discovered that I had given the cruellest pain to this +tenderest little heart. All the ugliness of my cruelty +rose up to condemn me. I slunk out of the room in +silence, like a kicked dog.</p> + +<p>Hitherto I had only looked upon Kusum, the +grand-daughter of Kailas Babu, as a somewhat +worthless commodity in the marriage market, waiting +in vain to attract a husband. But now I found, +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> +with a shock of surprise, that in the corner of that +room a human heart was beating.</p> + +<p>The whole night through I had very little sleep. +My mind was in a tumult. On the next day, very +early in the morning, I took all those stolen goods +back to Kailas Babu's lodgings, wishing to hand them +over in secret to the servant Ganesh. I waited outside +the door, and, not finding any one, went upstairs +to Kailas Babu's room. I heard from the passage +Kusum asking her grandfather in the most winning +voice: "Dada, dearest, do tell me all that the +Chota Lât Sahib said to you yesterday. Don't leave +out a single word. I am dying to hear it all over +again."</p> + +<p>And Dada needed no encouragement. His face +beamed over with pride as he related all manner of +praises which the Lât Sahib had been good enough +to utter concerning the ancient families of Nayanjore. +The girl was seated before him, looking up +into his face, and listening with rapt attention. She +was determined, out of love for the old man, to play +her part to the full.</p> + +<p>My heart was deeply touched, and tears came to +my eyes. I stood there in silence in the passage, +while Thakur Dada finished all his embellishments of +the Chota Lât Sahib's wonderful visit. When he +left the room at last, I took the stolen goods and +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> +laid them at the feet of the girl and came away without +a word.</p> + +<p>Later in the day I called again to see Kailas Babu +himself. According to our ugly modern custom, I +had been in the habit of making no greeting at all +to this old man when I came into the room. But +on this day I made a low bow and touched his feet. +I am convinced the old man thought that the coming +of the Chota Lât Sahib to his house was the cause of +my new politeness. He was highly gratified by it, +and an air of benign serenity shone from his eyes. +His friends had looked in, and he had already begun +to tell again at full length the story of the Lieutenant-Governor's +visit with still further adornments of a +most <a id="t_fantastic"></a><a href="#idx_fantastic" class="indx">fantastic</a> kind. The interview was already becoming +an epic, both in quality and in length.</p> + +<p>When the other visitors had taken their leave, I +made my proposal to the old man in a humble manner. +I told him that, "though I could never for a +moment hope to be worthy of marriage connection +with such an illustrious family, yet ... etc. +etc."</p> + +<p>When I made clear my proposal of marriage, the +old man embraced me and broke out in a tumult of +joy: "I am a poor man, and could never have expected +such great good fortune."</p> + +<p>That was the first and last time in his life that +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> +Kailas Babu confessed to being poor. It was also +the first and last time in his life that he forgot, if +only for a single moment, the ancestral dignity that +belongs to the Babus of Nayanjore.</p> + +<h3>WORDS TO BE STUDIED</h3> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_landholder"></a><a href="#t_landholder" class="indx">landholder</a>.</b> This method of forming compound words +from two original English words should be studied. +Compare the following words which have "land" for +one of their parts: <i>landlord</i>, <i>landowner</i>, <i>landlady</i>, <i>landslip</i>, +<i>landfall</i>. When the second word is not very +closely attached to the first word, a hyphen is put between, +thus <i>land-grabber</i>, <i>land-shark</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_extinct"></a><a href="#t_extinct" class="indx">extinct</a>.</b> From the Latin "stinguere," to quench. Compare +<i>distinct</i>, <i>instinct</i>, <i>extinguish</i>, <i>distinguish</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_cheque"></a><a href="#t_cheque" class="indx">cheque</a>.</b> This word is the same as "check,"—only in this +case the original French form has been kept. The +verb to "check" came into English originally from the +game of chess. In Eastern lands when the chess king +was in danger the word "Shah!" was called out, and +when the chess king could not move, "Shah mata!" +These were corrupted into "Check!" and "Checkmate!"</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_bankrupt"></a><a href="#t_bankrupt" class="indx">bankrupt</a>.</b> This word is a curious mixture of the old +French "banque" (compare <i>bench</i>, <i>banquet</i>) and the +Latin "rumpere," to break (compare <i>corrupt</i>, <i>disrupt</i>). +It is thus a hybrid word in modern English.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_filigree"></a><a href="#t_filigree" class="indx">filigree</a>.</b> From two Latin words, "filum," a thread, and +"granum," a grain.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_otto-of-roses"></a><a href="#t_otto-of-roses" class="indx">otto-of-roses</a>.</b> A corruption of attar. The word is originally +Arabic and Persian.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_turban"></a><a href="#t_turban" class="indx">turban</a>.</b> This word has now taken its place in most of the +European languages. It has come to Europe from the +Turkish "tulbend" and the Persian "dulband." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_tobacco"></a><a href="#t_tobacco" class="indx">tobacco</a>.</b> This word came originally from Central America. +It was brought to Europe by the Spaniards, who +pronounced it "tabaco." It has now travelled all +round the world, and has gained a place in all the +Indian vernaculars as well as in the Further East.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_boon"></a><a href="#t_boon" class="indx">boon</a>.</b> The Old English word "ben" meant a prayer, and +this was the original meaning of "boon." But a new +word appeared in English, viz. the adjective "boon" +from the French "bon," meaning "good." (Compare +<i>boon companion</i>). This influenced the earlier word, +which thus gained its present meaning of a "blessing" +or "gift."</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_smoulder"></a><a href="#t_smoulder" class="indx">smoulder</a>.</b> "Smolder" is an Old English word meaning +"smoke." Cognate words in English are <i>smother</i> and +<i>small</i>, which come from the same root.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_gingerly"></a><a href="#t_gingerly" class="indx">gingerly</a>.</b> The origin of this word is very doubtful. Some +connect it with "ging" or "gang," meaning "to go." +Others with "gent-" meaning "gentle" or "graceful." +The word has no relation to "ginger" which is an +Eastern word coming originally from the Sanskrit +<i>çraga-vera</i> and the Hindustani <i>zunjubil</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b><a id="idx_fantastic"></a><a href="#t_fantastic" class="indx">fantastic</a>.</b> From the Greek "phainō," to manifest. Compare +<i>emphasis</i>, <i>emphatic</i>, <i>fantasy</i>, <i>fancy</i>, <i>phenomenon</i>.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p class="prechap">NOTES</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span></p> +<h2><a id="NOTES"></a>NOTES</h2> + +<h3><a href="#I">I.—THE CABULIWALLAH</a></h3> + +<p>"The Cabuliwallah" is one of the most famous of the +Poet's "Short Stories." It has been often translated. The +present translation is by the late Sister Nivedita, and her +simple, vivid style should be noticed by the Indian student +reader. It is a good example of modern English, with its +short sentences, its careful choice of words, and its luminous +clearness of meaning.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Cabuliwallah.</b>] A man from Cabul or Kabul, the capital +of Afghanistan.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>embarked.</b>] Like a ship putting out to sea on a new voyage.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Bhola.</b>] Mini's attendant.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Protap Singh.</b>] Rabindranath Tagore pictures himself as +engaged in writing a novel, full of wild adventures. +These names are made up to suit the story.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>so precarious.</b>] The writer amusingly imagines the hero +and heroine actually swinging by the rope until he can +get back to his desk and finish writing about how they +escaped.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Abdurrahman.</b>] The Amir of Kabul.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Frontier policy.</b>] The question about guarding the North-West +of India against invasion.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>without demur.</b>] Without making any objection, or asking +for more money.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>judicious bribery.</b>] He gave her little presents, <i>judging</i> +well what she would like best.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>new fangled.</b>] The parents had not talked about such +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> +things, as old-fashioned people would have certainly +done.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>euphemism.</b>] This means, in Greek, "fair speech." Here +it means a pleasant word used instead of the unpleasant +word "jail."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>kings went forth.</b>] During the hot weather the kings of +ancient India used to stay at home: they would begin +to fight again at the beginning of the cold weather.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>my heart would go out.</b>] That is to say, he would long +to see such places.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>fall to weaving.</b>] This is an English idiom, like "set to": +it means to begin.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>conjure themselves.</b>] Just as the conjurer makes all kinds +of things appear before the eyes.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>vegetable existence.</b>] Vegetables are rooted to the ground. +So Rabindranath is rooted to his desk and cannot make +long journeys.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>As it was indefinite.</b>] Because there was no actual reason +for it. Indefinite here means vague.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>forbid the man the house.</b>] This is a brief way of saying +forbid the man to enter the house.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>bebagged.</b>] This word is made up for the occasion, and +means "laden with bags." Compare the words bedewed, +besmeared.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>just where.</b>] The word "just" has become very commonly +used in modern English. It means "exactly," +"merely" or "at the very moment." Compare "He +had just gone out." "It was just a joke."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Scarcely on speaking terms.</b>] Rabindranath Tagore is +here making a joke; "not to be on speaking terms" +means usually "to be displeased with." Mini had become +so eager to talk with her girl friends that she had +almost neglected her father.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Durga.</b>] The Durga Festival in Bengal is supposed to represent +the time when Parvati, or Durga, left her +father's home in the Himalayas, called Kailas, and went +to live with her husband, Siva. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b>Bhairavi.</b>] One of the musical tunes which denotes separation.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>chandeliers.</b>] The glass ornamental hangings on which +candles were lighted in great houses at weddings.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>better-omened.</b>] It was not considered a good omen, or +good fortune, to meet a criminal on a wedding day.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>dispersed.</b>] Used up.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Parbati.</b>] Another allusion to the Goddess Durga and her +home in the Himalayas.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>apparition.</b>] This word comes from the same root as the +word to "appear." It means a sudden or strange sight. +It often means a ghost. Mini had so changed that +when she appeared in her wedding dress she startled +him, as if he had seen a ghost.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>make friends with her anew.</b>] His own daughter would +not know him at first.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Saw before him the barren mountains.</b>] His memory +was so strong that it made him forget the crowded Calcutta +street and think of his home in the mountains.</p> + +<h3><a href="#II">II.—THE HOME-COMING</a></h3> + +<p class="words"><b>every one seconded the proposal.</b>] All were so eagerly +in favour that they wanted to speak at once in support +of it.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>regal dignity.</b>] His position as a king of the other boys.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>fertile brain.</b>] Full of inventions and plans.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>manoeuvre.</b>] A French word meaning a plan of battle.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>point of honour.</b>] He would feel himself disgraced if he +gave way.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Mother Earth.</b>] Earth is here pictured as a person. +There is a well-known story of a giant who gained +fresh power every time his body touched the earth, +which was his Mother.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Furies.</b>] These were supposed to be certain demons, who +pursued guilty men with loud cries. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b>the servant was master.</b>] Notice the play of words here. +The "servant" and "master" change places.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>critical juncture.</b>] At this exact moment when things +were so dangerous.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Dada.</b>] The usual Bengal word for "Brother."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>no love was lost.</b>] This is a mild way of saying that they +disliked one another.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>on pins and needles.</b>] Exceedingly restless; like some one +standing on sharp points.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>in perpetuity.</b>] The phrase is a mock legal one, meaning +"for all time."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>by no means pleased.</b>] She was very displeased, because +she had already children of her own. In English a +phrase is often put in a negative way to imply a very +strong positive statement. Thus "by no means happy" +may mean "very unhappy."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>committing such an indiscretion.</b>] Doing such an unwise +thing.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>indecent haste.</b>] A mock humorous expression, meaning +"very quickly."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>craves for recognition.</b>] Wishes to be noticed and loved.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>physical love.</b>] Just as a young animal clings to its mother +for protection.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>animal instinct.</b>] The phrase repeats in another form +what was said before, in the words "a kind of physical +love."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>pursed her lips.</b>] Drew her lips tight like the mouth of a +purse which is tightened by pulling the string.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>as if expecting some one.</b>] He was looking for his mother.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>very critical.</b>] Very dangerous. The danger point of the +illness might be reached at any moment and death might +come.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>By the mark.</b>] When a shallow place comes at sea, or on +a great river, one of the sailors throws a piece of lead, +with a string tied to it, into the water, and then looks +at the <i>mark</i> on the string. He calls out that the depth +is "three" or "four" fathoms according to the mark. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b>plumb-line.</b>] The line with a lead weight.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>plumbing.</b>] To plumb is to get to the bottom of a piece +of water. Here Phatik is pictured as himself going +deeper and deeper into the sea of death, which none can +fathom.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>the holidays.</b>] The Bengali word for "holiday" means +also "release." It is as though he were saying, "My +release has come." This cannot be represented in the +English.</p> + +<h3><a href="#III">III.—ONCE THERE WAS A KING</a></h3> + +<p>In this story Rabindranath Tagore begins with some +amusing sentences about the dull, matter of fact character +of modern scientific people, who cannot enjoy a fairy story +without asking "Is it true?" The Poet implies that there +are deeper truths than modern science has yet discovered. +The ending of the present story will show this more clearly.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>sovereign truth.</b>] There is a play upon the word "sovereign" +which can mean "kingly" and also "supreme."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>exacting.</b>] There is further play here with the words "exact" +and "exacting." "Exact" means precise and +"exacting" means making others precise.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>legendary haze.</b>] The ancient legends are very obscure, +just like an object seen through a mist.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>knowledge.</b>] Mere book knowledge,—knowledge of outside +things.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>truth.</b>] Inner truth such as comes from the heart of man +and cannot be reasoned or disputed.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>half past seven.</b>] The time when his tutor was due.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>no other need.</b>] As if God would continue the rain merely +to keep his tutor away!</p> + +<p class="words"><b>If not.</b>] Though it might not have been caused by his +prayers, still for some reason the rain did continue.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>nor did my teacher.</b>] Supply the words "give up." +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b>punishment to fit the crime.</b>] An amusing reference to +the doctrine of <i>karma</i>, which states that each deed will +have its due reward or punishment.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>as me.</b>] Strictly speaking it should be "I" not "me" but +he is writing not too strictly.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>I hope no child.</b>] The author here amusingly pretends +that the child's way of getting out of his lessons was +too shocking for young boys in the junior school to read +about.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>I will marry my daughter to him.</b>] The verb to +"marry" in English can be used in two senses:—<br /> +<span class="types">(1) To wed some one: to take in marriage.</span><br /> +<span class="types">(2) To get some one wedded: to give in marriage.</span><br /> +The later sense is used here.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>in the dawn of some indefinite time.</b>] In some past existence +long ago.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>If my grandmother were an author.</b>] Here Rabindranath +returns to his mocking humour. A modern author, +he says, would be obliged to explain all sorts of +details in the story.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>hue and cry.</b>] This is a phrase used for the noise and +bustle that is made when people are searching for a +thief.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Her readers.</b>] Referring back to the Grandmother.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>in an underhand way.</b>] Under the disguise of a fairy +story.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>grandmother again.</b>] That is, in the old conditions when +people were not too exacting about accuracy.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>luckless grandson.</b>] A humorous way of referring to himself. +The author had the misfortune to be born in the +modern age of science.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Seven wings.</b>] The word "wings" is here used, not for +"wings" like those of birds, but for the sides of a large +building, projecting out at an angle from the main +building.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>But what is the use....</b>] The author here breaks off +the story, as though it were useless to go on any further +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> +in these modern days when every thing has to be scientifically +proved.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Some "what then?"</b>] Some future existence about which +explanations might be asked.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>no grandmother of a grandmother.</b>] No one, however +old.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>never admits defeat.</b>] Refuses to believe in death.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>teacherless evening</b>.] Evening on which the teacher did +not come.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>chamber of the great end.</b>] Death itself is referred to; +it is the end of human life on earth and what is beyond +death is shut out from us.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>incantation.</b>] Sacred verses or <i>mantras</i>.</p> + +<h3><a href="#IV">IV.—THE RETURN OF THE CHILD</a></h3> + +<p class="words"><b>found two masters.</b>] The wife was his master now, as +well as her husband.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>make for safety.</b>] Get to some place where he could not +be caught.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>will be a judge some day.</b>] The baby seemed so wise to +Raicharan, that he thought he would certainly grow up +to be a judge.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>epoch in human history.</b>] It seemed to Raicharan as +though some great event had happened which ought to +be recorded.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>wrestler's trick.</b>] The writer, in fun, makes Raicharan's +skill depend on doing just what the wrestler tries to +avoid, i.e. being thrown on his back.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>swallowed down.</b>] Washed them away in a flood.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>little despot.</b>] The baby, who was able to make Raicharan +do exactly what he liked.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>The silent ceremonial.</b>] The author pictures the sunset +as like some splendid kingly ceremony, where every +gorgeous colour can be seen.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>"Pitty fow."</b>] "Pretty flower." The baby can only lisp +the words. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b>He was promoted from a horse into a groom.</b>] He was +no longer asked by the baby to be a "horse" in his +games, but to look after this toy carriage, as a groom +would.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>with all sorts of curious noises.</b>] He began to imitate the +sounds of birds.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>destined to be a judge.</b>] The baby could see through +Raicharan's attempts to deceive, as a judge would see +through false evidence.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>wavelets.</b>] The little waves seemed like so many thousand +little children running away in fun or mischief.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>there was no one there.</b>] These words are repeated again +and again to give the sense of utter loss and desolation.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>overwhelming resentment.</b>] His own baby seemed to +have been given to him in order to tempt him to forget +his little Master. Raicharan was angry to think that +any one could imagine such forgetfulness to be possible.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>The little Master could not cast off the spell.</b>] Could +not keep away from the servant who loved him so much. +He fancies his little Master has come back to life again +in this new little baby, drawn as it were by some enchantment +of love.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>accumulated.</b>] Gathered together: referring to the idea of <i>karma</i>.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>personal appearance.</b>] He spent a long time in arranging +his clothes and making himself look handsome.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>country manners.</b>] Country people have habits and ways +of speaking which seem absurd to town people.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>a kind of condescension.</b>] As if he were superior and +Raicharan were beneath him.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>mendicant quack.</b>] A beggar dealing in herbs and medicines +and charms.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>hungry, eager eyes.</b>] As if she could never gaze long +enough upon him.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>the magistrate in him.</b>] The magistrate's way of looking +at things. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b>magisterial conscience.</b>] His instincts as a judge, who +must condemn the guilty.</p> + +<h3><a href="#V">V.—MASTER MASHAI</a></h3> + +<p class="words"><b>Ratikanta.</b>] He is represented throughout as a typical +hanger-on of the rich family, selfish and flattering.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Victor Hugo.</b>] The most famous of Victor Hugo's stories +is called "Les Miserables." Its opening scene of San +Valjean and the saintly Bishop is very well known in +literature.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>deep-laid plot.</b>] Notice how throughout this story the different +members of this wealthy house appear to be unable +to take account of unselfish motives.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>this is sheer kidnapping.</b>] Adhar Babu believes that +Haralal has acquired some hypnotic influence over Venu +and is trying to rob him of his money.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>brokers and middlemen.</b>] Those who bought the grain +from the peasants and sold it to the English firm.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>any security.</b>] A money payment which would be forfeited +if anything went wrong.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>a note of hand.</b>] A paper signed by Venugopal saying that +he owed so much money.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>filed a suit.</b>] Brought an action in the law courts against +the father to recover the money lent to the son.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Currency notes.</b>] Notes of twenty, fifty, a hundred rupees,—such +as could be changed for money.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>theft the night before.</b>] Adhar Babu had already missed +the things that Venu had taken away.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>it's a paying business.</b>] Adhar Babu imagines that Venu +and Haralal have become partners in order to swindle +other people.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>with your connivance.</b>] With your secret knowledge and +approval.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Deliverance was in the infinite sky.</b>] He felt that all +the evils, which were pressing close around him, were +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> +broken through and that he had come out beyond them +into the clear light of truth. It was like coming out of +some narrow confined place into the open sky.</p> + +<h3><a href="#VI">VI.—SUBHA</a></h3> + +<p class="words"><b>Subhashini.</b>] Sweetly speaking.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Sukheshini.</b>] With lovely hair.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Suhashini.</b>] Sweetly smiling.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>process of translation.</b>] To change the unspoken language +of thought into the spoken language of words is +like translating the mother tongue into a foreign language. +Much of the beauty is lost.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>that speech of the dark eyes.</b>] Nature was speaking in +every part of her own great being, in the same silent +way as those dark eyes of Subha were speaking.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>without any common language.</b>] The cows had the common +language of looks with which to talk to Subha. +But Pratap, who could speak, had not learnt Subha's +language of looks.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>they become public property.</b>] Everyone can amuse himself +by talking with them in idle moments.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>water nymph.</b>] Referring to the legends, common in all +countries, of water fairies or mermaids living at the +bottom of a river or beneath the sea and dwelling in +wonderful palaces.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>tide from the central places of the sea.</b>] When the moon +is full, the tide rises to its highest point: it seems to +start from some central place far out at sea and to come +rolling and surging in.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>silent troubled Mother.</b>] Nature, with her full tide and +full moon, seems troubled and longing to break out into +speech, just as Subha longed to do.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>they have caught your bridegroom.</b>] Pratap employs the +word "caught" from his favourite pursuit of fishing. +The bridegroom has been caught just like a fish.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>did her best to kill her natural beauty.</b>] Her hair was +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> +much more beautiful when left in its natural way, instead +of being all bound up in a net.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>The God ... the great man.</b>] These words refer to the +bridegroom himself, who wields such mighty powers of +choice or refusal. They are ironical.</p> + +<h3><a href="#VII">VII.—THE POSTMASTER</a></h3> + +<p class="words"><b>like a fish out of water.</b>] Completely out of place, because +he was used to city life.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>macadamised road.</b>] He would have infinitely preferred +the streets and shops and crowded markets of Calcutta.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>smoke ... from the village cowsheds.</b>] Such as is used +to drive away the mosquitoes.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Baül.</b>] A religious sect in Bengal whose members sing +songs and often go about begging.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>No more of this.</b>] He was afraid he might become too +deeply attached to Ratan if he stayed.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Its fond mistakes are persistent.</b>] We continually try +to deceive ourselves that what we <i>wish</i> to be true <i>is</i> +true. When at last we find out the truth, we could +almost wish we had not done so.</p> + +<h3><a href="#VIII">VIII.—THE CASTAWAY</a></h3> + +<p class="words"><b>Like a rudderless boat.</b>] Notice how the metaphor is +kept up to the end of the sentence.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>The writ of Fate.</b>] They said that if she was to die, she +was to die, and nothing could prevent it.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>profiting their Brahmin guest.</b>] She would believe this +to be an act of merit for which she would be rewarded.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>out of his repertory.</b>] Out of the stock of plays he recited +when he belonged to the theatrical troupe.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>hearing sacred names.</b>] This also, she believed, would +bring her merit.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>forcing house.</b>] Like some glass conservatory used for +exotic flowers. +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span></p> + +<p class="words"><b>exact stature.</b>] The manager wished him to take the parts +of women who are smaller than men.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>came to adequate revelation.</b>] Were now abundantly +apparent.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>twice-born bird.</b>] Once born in the egg and once after +the breaking of the egg. The goose in the story was +the messenger between Nala and Damayanti.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>the tiger has no wish to become a mouse.</b>] A reference +to a folk story of a saint who turned a pet mouse into +a tiger.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>German silver.</b>] A kind of cheap silver containing much +alloy in it.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>to look for your Damayanti.</b>] To find Satish a wife.</p> + +<h3><a href="#IX">IX.—THE SON OF RASHMANI</a></h3> + +<p class="words"><b>do the duty of the father.</b>] By disciplining and punishing +the child.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>crippling his patrimony.</b>] Injuring the estate.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>this is preposterous.</b>] The natural thing would be for the +property to be divided between the two brothers and +their descendants, but by this will only one son was +recognized and one set of grandsons.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>given to the grandsons.</b>] To Shyama Charan's and Bhavani's +sons. According to this preposterous will Bhavani +was left out altogether, and also his son.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Shyama Charan's treachery.</b>] She fully believed that he +had stolen the will and put this false one in its place.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Noto used to get reprimands.</b>] Used to be blamed for +wishing to save this waste of money. Of course the +whole thing was imaginary, but it gave Bhavani the +pleased feeling of being generous.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>traditional extravagance.</b>] Such as had always been displayed +in former days when the family was prosperous.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Some imaginary dog.</b>] She would say that some dog had +run off with the food which she had prepared.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Bhavani had confessed.</b>] Rashmani, Noto and Bhavani +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> +himself were all alike ready to keep up the illusion that +the old magnificence was still there, if only this or that +accident had not deprived them of its display.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>invisible ink.</b>] Ink which is invisible when first written +with, but when heated becomes visible.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Baba, wait a little.</b>] In Bengal daughters are often called +Ma (mother) and sons Baba (father).</p> + +<p class="words"><b>it became absurdly easy.</b>] Because, after this, both the +mother and her son could join in the pretence together.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>lacking in proper enthusiasm.</b>] Did not care much about +the subject.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>more than compensated.</b>] The pleasure of telling the +news was greater than the pain of knowing that such a +sacrilege was going to take place.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>with all the more deadly force.</b>] The thrower being up +above, the speed would increase all the more on the +downward flight of the missile.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>requiring expensive fodder.</b>] Vanity can feed itself on +the idea of self importance.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>to graze at large.</b>] Merely to feed on what is before it. +He gave it extra food by paying for a number of flatterers, +just as a horse is stall-fed with extra supplies of +food.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>turned round on him.</b>] His vanity would be offended and +he would be his enemy instead of his helper.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>forced extravagance.</b>] Kalipada had been forced by the +sneers of the students to give far more than he could +afford.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>draw tears from the eyes.</b>] An amusing way of saying +that no burglar would ever dream of trying to rob such +a room.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>laid their impious hands.</b>] Had grossly insulted.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>let him climb down first.</b>] An English metaphor meaning +"let him be humble."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>he discovered the truth.</b>] The truth that he was a near +relative of Kalipada.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>grandchild's privilege.</b>] Especially in Bengal, a grandchild +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> +is allowed the liberty of making jokes with his +grandfather.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>he found it easy.</b>] He loved his mother so much that +when he found anyone pleased with things which she +had made he enjoyed seeing them use these things +rather than himself.</p> + +<h3><a href="#X">X.—THE BABUS OF NAYANJORE</a></h3> + +<p class="words"><b>the days before the flood.</b>] The word "antediluvian" +meaning "before the flood," is used sometimes in English +for things very ancient and out of date. There is +a play upon this here.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>dazzling outburst.</b>] Just as, at a firework display, pitch +darkness follows the last firework.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>drawing his heavy cheques.</b>] To "draw a cheque" is +to take so much from a credit account in the bank. +The words are humorously used here of taking something +from the public belief about the greatness of the +Babus of Nayanjore.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>and er-er.</b>] He hesitates a little as he mentions the ladies.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Thakur Dada.</b>] Grandfather.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>my moral character was flawless.</b>] Note how the author +shows the conceit of this young man. Compare, lower +down, the phrase "because I was so good."</p> + +<p class="words"><b>poet Bhabavuti.</b>] The poet means that there must be some +one in this vast universe of time and space who is the +match for the hero of his poem.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>Chota Lât Sahib.</b>] The story refers to the time when +Calcutta was the Capital of India. The Burra Lât +Sahib was the Viceroy, the Chota Lât Sahib was the +Lieutenant-Governor.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>walking backward.</b>] As a mark of respect. He was continually +bowing and then stepping back. This kind of +ceremonial bowing was commoner in earlier days than +it is now.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>tall silk hat.</b>] These were only worn in India at State +<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> +functions and their use in this country by Englishmen +is becoming more and more rare. But in earlier days +they were not uncommon. They are black in colour +and shining.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>ugly modern custom.</b>] The author dislikes the passing +away of an old beautiful custom of reverence towards +old men.</p> + +<p class="words"><b>becoming an epic.</b>] Becoming legendary by its additions. +An epic poem often goes on describing an incident with +all kinds of marvellous events added to it, till it becomes +a very long story.</p> + +<p class="center"><br /><br /><small>PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</small></p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div class="notebox"> +<a id="TN"></a> + +<h2>Transcriber's note:</h2> + +<p>The following corrections have been made to the text:</p> + +<ul class="noblt"> +<li>Page 86: mornng replaced with morning.</li> + +<li>Page 119: teachnig replaced with teaching.</li> + +<li>Page 166: circumstance replaced with circumstances.</li> +</ul></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Stories from Tagore, by Rabindranath Tagore + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES FROM TAGORE *** + +***** This file should be named 33525-h.htm or 33525-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/3/5/2/33525/ + +Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Asad Razzaki and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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